How long does it take to learn a Chinese character or word? It varies, but some vocabulary just refuses to stick, no matter what you do. These are called leeches, and if you don't deal with them, they'll suck you dry.

#learnchinese #leeches #vocabulary #flashcards #srs

Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Chinese characters and words that refuse to stick: Killing leeches: https://www.hackingchinese.com/killing-leeches/

Why flashcards are great for learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-flashcards-are-great-for-learning-chinese

Anki, the best of spaced repetition software: https://www.hackingchinese.com/anki-a-friendly-intelligent-spaced-learning-system

Spaced repetition software and why you should use it: https://www.hackingchinese.com/an-introduction-to-spaced-repetition-software

Anki documentation about leeches: .html: https://docs.ankiweb.net/leeches.html?highlight=review+mode

Skritter review: Boosting your Chinese character learning: https://www.hackingchinese.com/skritter-chinese-review-boosting-your-character-learning

Dealing with Chinese characters you keep mixing up: https://www.hackingchinese.com/dealing-with-chinese-characters-you-keep-mixing-up

About cheating, spaced repetition and learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/about-cheating-spaced-repetition-and-learning-chinese

The building blocks of Chinese, part 1: Chinese characters and words in a nutshell: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-building-blocks-of-chinese-part-1-chinese-characters-and-words-in-a-nutshell

Same building blocks, different characters: How component placement changes meaning in Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/memory-aids-and-mnemonics-to-enhance-learning

7 mistakes I made when writing Chinese characters and what I learnt from them: https://www.hackingchinese.com/7-mistakes-i-made-when-writing-chinese-characters-and-what-i-learnt-from-them

Cultivate your Chinese flashcard garden… or burn it down and start afresh: https://www.hackingchinese.com/cultivate-your-chinese-flashcard-garden-or-burn-it-down-and-start-afresh

More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at https://www.hackingchinese.com

Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)