A long-time Anki user who builds vocabulary from example sentences tried ChatGPT when online context dictionaries kept returning overly technical examples. For tricky Japanese words it produced clearer sentences than the dictionary, though they worry AI sentences might sound odd to native speakers, so treat them with care.
I'm learning [LANGUAGE] at about [LEVEL] level. For each word below, write one short, natural, everyday sentence that a native speaker might actually say, then give the English meaning. Keep the grammar at my level and tell me if a word is formal, old-fashioned or rarely used. Words: [LIST OF WORDS].
Replace the [PLACEHOLDERS] with your own details before you send it.
How to try it
- Ask for one simple example sentence per word, at your level.
- Check a few against a dictionary, a textbook or a native speaker before you trust the batch.
- Add the sentences you’re happy with to your Anki deck and review a few each day.
More learning use cases
Turn your ‘read later’ pile into a short audio summary with NotebookLM
An XDA writer fed NotebookLM the links from about 30 old 'read later' bookmarks and generated an Audio Overview. The 15-minute discussion pulled out the key ideas and showed which three articles were worth reading properly.
These sources are articles I saved to read later about [TOPICS]. Group them by theme, give me the three or four big ideas they share, and tell me which [NUMBER] articles are most worth reading in full and why. Point out any that mostly repeat the others.
Practise speaking a language with ChatGPT’s voice mode
One learner uses ChatGPT's voice mode to practise Japanese: he picks a topic, has a conversation, and asks for more sophisticated vocabulary and idioms. He finds it works well at an advanced level.
Let's have a conversation in [LANGUAGE] about [TOPIC]. I'm at about [LEVEL] level. Speak at a natural pace. After every few exchanges, suggest more natural or sophisticated words and idioms I could have used, and correct one mistake.
Get a daily language-learning story from Gemini
On Hacker News, one learner has Gemini write a daily story about something that happened on that date in history, using A2-level language, with a transliteration, vocabulary list and grammar tips, emailed to him around lunchtime.
Write a short story in [LANGUAGE] about a historical event that happened on [TODAY'S DATE]. Use only [LEVEL, E.G. A2] grammar and vocabulary. Then give me: a transliteration (if it uses a different alphabet), a vocabulary list from the story, and two grammar tips based on it. Vary the opening sentence each day.
Reference: ThoughtofVG