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Getting Started

Hokaido is a personal knowledge management (PKM) app focused on language learning with a focus on searchability and spaced repetition. In other words, you add words and phrases to Hokaido so that you can search for them when you forget them and practice them using flashcards and games.

There are many other apps that provide parts of this functionality, but there is no single app that nicely brings these features together.

  • Note-taking apps can be used to store anything, but there's a lack of structure
  • Excel is structured but tricky to navigate, especially on phone
  • Flashcards apps have poor functionality for organizing and searching
  • Language learning apps like Duolingo are too structured and impersonal
  • Dictionary apps overwhelm you with information. They are useful when looking up the word for the first time, but afterwards, all you need is that one translation or definition that helped you understand and learn the word in the first place.

To get started with Hokaido, swipe through the introduction and proceed to create a book. A book will contain the knowledge you've gathered while learning a language, and you should create one book per language that you are learning. For now it's enough to give your book a name (e.g. "French"), select the foreign language you're learning (e.g. "French") and the primary native language that you will use for definitions (e.g. "English). This is all we need for now, you can learn about Look-Up Resources and Ignored Words later.

The button in the top left corner opens up the navigation menu. For now we will stay in the Organizer where you can manage and filter your words, phrases and tags. Let's add some words by tapping the "+" in the bottom right corner. Once you have written the word in one language, you may press the button under the field to translate it. You may also add one or more tags to keep your data organized, making it easier to filter for example when creating flashcard decks.

If you already have many words written down elsewhere and you wish to import them to the app, you may do so via CSV import.

Once you have added a few words and phrases you can try practicing them using Flashcards.

A good thing to keep in mind throughout the app is that it's possible to swipe items in lists (such as a word in the organizer word list) to the left to delete them, and to the right to reveal more actions.