What’s the best way to proceed when updating a note?

I’m using ANKI to learn a foreign language, and my notes setup allows for multiple definitions for a single word. Additionally, there are several card types configured for the entry:

  1. Meaning 1 - Translation
  2. Meaning 2 - Translation
  3. Meaning 3 - Translation
  4. Translation - Meanings 1, 2, 3.
    To improve retention, I’ve activated all three Burying options.
    I also create my decks entirely from scratch.

For instance, I have a word with two meanings, and I’ve started reviewing its cards. Thanks to Burying, I see Card 1 first, then Card 2, and finally Card 4 (since Meaning 3 is still missing). But now a new meaning is added to the note. I add a new value to the corresponding field, and so logically, I need to pause studying Card 4 and learn Card 3 first. But how to do it better?

I see several options.
Option 1. I could manually suspend Card 4 and set Card 3 to appear today. After reviewing Card 3, I would then unsuspend Card 4, letting ANKI bury it automatically. (If I’m not mistaken, manual suspensions don’t interact with Burying.)

Option 2. I could leave Card 4 as it is and simply set Due date Card 3 for today. In this case, I’d study both cards, but evaluating my response to Card 4 might be tricky. Because according to the correct answer I should name all 3 values, but I could see the 3rd value just now, on the previous card. This will make the answer not entirely honest, which will ultimately affect the FSRS.

Option 3. I could ignore Card 3 for now and continue with Card 4, pressing “Again” repeatedly to studied Meaning 3 from the back side of the card. However, this would affect Card 4’s stats, impacting FSRS, which I’d like to avoid. Plus, when Burying goes through another round and eventually shows Card 3 after Card 4, I’ll already know it from studying Card 4. So what I’m saying is that in this case, card 4 will be overvalued and card 3 will be undervalued.

What scenario would you recommend? Or perhaps you can suggest some other scenario that I don’t see?

I’m going to start by telling you what I do in this situation, which I encounter frequently. In case that doesn’t sound promising, I’ll respond to your 3 options as well.

When I add a new “synonym” card (let’s call it “Card 3” to match) –

  • I use Reposition to put Card 3 towards the front of my New-queue, so it will be introduced sooner rather than later.
  • For Cards 1, 2, and 4 – If they aren’t already due in the next couple weeks, I use Set Due Date with a range, to scatter the cards across the next couple weeks (5-15 days works for me).
  • I bury all 4 cards, so nothing will start until tomorrow.
  • When Card 3 is introduced and the rest come up for Review, I continue to apply my regular criteria about what makes a card right or wrong (as in, how many synonyms do I need to know), and lapse them if they should lapse.

Anki buries the siblings when you grade Card 3, and it doesn’t bury suspended cards. So Card 4 wouldn’t buried, and when you unsuspend it after, it would just be unsuspended. The more direct way to do this would be skip suspending and just manually bury Card 4.

If you’re suggesting you “set Card 3 to appear today” using Set Due Date – that will skip the Learn stage. Is that what you want to do?

No, not if you have burying enabled.

I don’t think you need to worry about overvaluing/undervaluing the cards for the algorithm. Studying reverse and synonym cards will always reinforce their siblings. That’s not something you need to manage separately.

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Did I understand correctly that you apply repositioning only for newly created cards?
In this case, in my example, do I need to apply repositioning only for these two new cards or for card 4 (card type De в Ru) as well?
Could you please clarify if you activate any checkpoints in this process or not?
Start position = 0 or enother?

Why assign a Set Due Date for card 1? It follows the regular schedule, and the appearance of new cards hasn’t affected it.

Then how do you check yourself to ensure you’ve memorized the Translation - Synonym 3 pair if, when answering the corresponding general card, you ignore reproducing it in your response?

Reposition only impacts New cards – it moves their position in the New-queue.

I followed the example in your post above – you’d already introduced Card 4. If Card 4 is still New, then yes, you should Reposition them together.

I’m certain the settings for Reposition are explained at the link I gave you. What to pick for “Start” depends on where the “front” of your New-queue is. Step 1 is fine here and you don’t need “Randomize” for this. I never use “Shift position” because it causes every impacted New card to need a sync. There’s nothing wrong with multiple cards sitting on the same queue number.

Do your cards 1, 2, 3 not mention the existence of each other? I didn’t expect that. I want to see all of the siblings again soon because all of them have been impacted by the addition of the 3rd synonym. But if yours haven’t, then that’s not necessary.

I think you misunderstood me. [But is card 4 the “general” card?]

I have rules for myself about how much of the answer I need to know on a forward or a reverse card. So when I change the answer on a card, that impacts how much I need to know.

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