How to reuse a language deck for another language?

Anki Help
1

Hello,

I created a deck for a foreign language with two-sided cards. One side is one or picture, and the other side is the word in the foreign language and a short audio clip for the pronouciation.

I want to reuse the cards of this deck for another language, but to keep only the “pictures” sides of the cards, and set the word and audio clip for the other language on the other side of the cards.

Is there an easy way to do that in Anki?

NB: I am using Anki Desktop 25.09.2.

Thanks a lot for your help!

2

First – make sure you understand the difference between notes, note types, cards, and card types, or none of this will make sense.

If you want to keep using the same notes and have Anki create additional cards from them – update your note type –

  • Add fields for the new word and for the new audio clip.
  • Add card types that make the same card (or cards?) for your new language.
  • Use Deck Override so those cards are created in a different deck for the new language. If you set the override before you save the new card type for the first time (which is when cards will be created for the existing notes), you won’t have to move any of the newly created cards around.

If you want to make a separate set of the same notes for Anki to create these cards – clone your note type –

  • Give it a unique name so you can tell it apart from your other note type.
  • If needed, rename any fields/edit any card types to be appropriate for the new language.
  • Export your notes as plain text/CSV – include HTML, media references, tags (if you like) – but don’t include deck name, note type, or unique identifier.
  • [You can either empty out the old language word/audio fields by deleting that “column” from your CSV file now. Or after import, you can empty out those fields with Find and Replace, or by changing them to the same note type, and replacing the field with “Nothing.”]
  • Re-import your notes as that new note type to create cards in your new language deck.
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Hi @Danika_Dakika ,

Thanks a lot for your response. I am new to Anki, and this all looks quite complicated to me… I hope you don’t mind if I ask some further questions.

I created my notes for my old language as note type “Basic (and reversed card)”, which is a note type that was pre-existing in the system. I’d rather not make any changes to it… Is it possible to clone this note type and move the existing notes to the new note type?

Thanks for your help!

4

Yep. Please read the instructions I gave you for how to:

5

Ah yes, thanks! I will try those instructions. Thanks @Danika_Dakika !

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6

I can’t see any option to clone a note type… If I select “Tools → Manage Note Types”, here is the dialogue that I get:

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7

In that window, click the “Add” button. Then scroll down to where it says “Clone: basic (and reversed card)”.

You should also read the manual about that for more info: Adding/Editing - Anki Manual.

1 Like
8

All right, thanks @Anon_0000 !

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9

@Danika_Dakika @Anon_0000 Thank you both, I have been able to achieve my goal!

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