Skip to content

Exporting to Anki

Send a word from the lookup sheet straight to Anki as a flashcard, filled with the word, its reading, definitions, the sentence and more.

On Android, Mekuru sends cards to the AnkiDroid app. On iPhone and iPad, it sends them to the AnkiMobile app or to Anki on a computer. Set up the one you use below, then send cards the same way on both.

What a card can contain

Each field of your Anki note type gets one of these sources. You choose them in the Field Mapping settings.

Source What goes in the field
Expression The word as written
Reading Its reading in kana
Furigana (Anki format) The word with its reading in Anki's furigana format, for example 食[た]べる
Glossary / Meaning The definitions
Sentence Context The sentence you found the word in
Sentence Translation That sentence translated into the app's language
Frequency Rank How common the word is, from your frequency dictionary
Dictionary Name The dictionary the definitions come from
Pitch Accent The word's pitch accent (its pattern of high and low pitch), as the reading and the position of the pitch drop, for example はし [1]
(Empty) Nothing

Notes on the sources:

  • Sentence Translation is filled only when sentence translation is already installed on your device. Otherwise the field stays empty. The translation is in the app's language: English, Spanish, Indonesian or Simplified Chinese. See Sentence Translation.
  • Frequency Rank needs a frequency dictionary, such as the JPDB word frequency in the starter pack. Pitch Accent needs a pitch accent dictionary.
  • The card also gets your default tags. The default tag is mekuru.

Set up and send cards

On Android

You need the AnkiDroid app.

AnkiDroid integration field mapping screen

Set up AnkiDroid

  1. Go to You › Settings › AnkiDroid Integration. It is in the Vocabulary & Export section.
  2. When Android asks, allow Mekuru to use AnkiDroid.
  3. Under Note Type, tap Anki Note Type and choose a note type.
  4. Under Default Deck, tap Target Deck and choose a deck.
  5. Under Field Mapping, tap each field and choose a source for it. Each source shows a preview of what it would put in the field. The preview uses the example word 食べる, or the word you looked up if you came from the lookup sheet.
  6. Optional: under Default Tags, enter tags separated by commas.

Send a card

  1. In the reader, tap a word.
  2. In the lookup sheet, tap Send to AnkiDroid (the lightning icon) next to the word.
  3. Check the card. You can change the Deck, edit any field, and change the Tags.
  4. Tap Add to Anki.

If you have not set up AnkiDroid yet, step 2 opens the settings, with your word in the previews.

Duplicates

Mekuru checks your default deck for a card whose first field matches. If it finds one, the button shows a check mark: Already in default Anki deck. Long press to add anyway. Press and hold the button to add another card. On the card screen, a note warns you when the deck you chose already has the word.

When you change things in AnkiDroid

If you delete or rename the note type, the deck or a mapped field in AnkiDroid, AnkiDroid Integration marks it as no longer existing. A mapped field that is gone stays in the list. Tap it to move its source to another field, or tap Remove (the trash icon) to drop it. The card screen shows a warning until you fix the mapping.

If something goes wrong

  • AnkiDroid permission not granted. Make sure AnkiDroid is installed and try again.: install AnkiDroid, tap Retry, and allow access.
  • Could not connect to AnkiDroid. Make sure AnkiDroid is installed and running.: open AnkiDroid once, then tap Retry.
  • Failed to add note. Make sure AnkiDroid is running and the selected note type and deck still exist.: check the note type and deck in AnkiDroid Integration.

On iPhone and iPad

Go to You › Settings › Anki Integration. Under Send cards to, choose where your cards go:

  • AnkiMobile (this device): the Anki app on your iPhone or iPad. This is the default.
  • Anki on a computer (AnkiConnect): Anki on a computer on the same network, through the AnkiConnect add-on.

Anki settings on iPhone

To send a card, tap Send to Anki (the lightning icon) in the lookup sheet, check the card, and tap Add to Anki, as on Android.

AnkiMobile

AnkiMobile does not tell other apps its note types, decks or fields, so you type them in Mekuru.

  1. In Anki Integration, keep Send cards to on AnkiMobile (this device).
  2. Enter the Note type and the Deck, exactly as they are named in AnkiMobile.
  3. In Field names, separated by commas, enter the note type's fields, for example Front, Back.
  4. Tap Save.
  5. Under Field Mapping, tap each field and choose a source for it.

When you tap Add to Anki, AnkiMobile opens, adds the card and returns you to Mekuru.

Mekuru cannot check AnkiMobile for duplicates. AnkiMobile refuses a duplicate card itself, and it also refuses a card whose note type, deck or field name is misspelled. It shows its own message when it does. Mekuru cannot see that message, so it says the card was sent to AnkiMobile, not added. If a card is missing, check AnkiMobile.

Anki on a computer (AnkiConnect)

You need Anki on a computer on the same network as your iPhone or iPad, with the AnkiConnect add-on.

  1. In Anki on your computer, install the AnkiConnect add-on (code 2055492159).
  2. In the add-on's config, set "webBindAddress": "0.0.0.0" so other devices can reach it. Restart Anki.
  3. On your iPhone or iPad, in Anki Integration, set Send cards to to Anki on a computer (AnkiConnect).
  4. Under AnkiConnect address, enter the computer's address with port 8765, for example http://192.168.1.20:8765. Then tap Connect (the sync icon).
  5. When iOS asks, allow Mekuru to find devices on your local network.
  6. Choose the Anki Note Type, the Target Deck and the Field Mapping, as on Android.

Anki must be running on the computer when you send a card. Mekuru checks your default deck for duplicates, as on Android.

If you see Could not connect to Anki. Check the address and make sure Anki is running on your computer., check the address, that Anki is open, and that both devices are on the same network.

Export a CSV file instead

You can also export your saved words as a CSV file and import it into Anki. See Export as CSV.