One learner on Reddit (r/languagelearning) mines Japanese and Chinese sentences from YouTube and Netflix, and says Migaku lets them keep enjoying what they watch while they mine.
Pick a Good Sentence
A good sentence has one word you don't know, and you understand everything else. Here is an example in Spanish:
Dejé las llaves en el tren.
If you know the rest, the sentence tells you a lot: someone left something on the train. Once you look it up, you learn that llaves are keys, and you remember the sentence you found it in. A sentence with three new words is harder to keep, so skip it for now.
From a Show to a Review in Four Steps
- Notice ItPause when a line catches your ear.
- Save ItSave the line, plus its audio or a screenshot if your tool can grab them.
- Add the MeaningWrite what the new word means in this sentence.
- Review ItReview the sentence on a flashcard, or read the word again in something new.
Apps That Make It Quicker
With Migaku, one click turns a line you're watching or reading into a card that holds the sentence, its audio, a screenshot, and the meaning. Language Reactor shows subtitles in two languages on Netflix and YouTube, with a popup dictionary for the new word. The learner above also wanted any tool to work with Anki, which can hold audio, pictures, and video on each card.
When you save a word in Bubblegum, it keeps the line where you found it, and Poppy, your AI tutor, works the word into new lessons where it fits, so the word you mined turns up in sentences she writes. Bubblegum calls this Regenerative Review™.
Bubblegum
Bubblegum is the best app for serious learners. You learn from text and audio you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
- Exported Anki cards can show the original sentence on the back.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- You can't save sentences from a show or a book you read outside Bubblegum.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
If mining sounds like too much work, flashcard alternatives lists apps that bring words back for you.
Common Questions
Is sentence mining good for beginners?
It's easier once you know the most common words, because then most sentences have only one new word. Before that, short graded stories give you sentences at your level.
Do I need Anki for sentence mining?
No. Anki is one place to keep mined sentences. A notebook works too, and Migaku has its own review built in.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- r/languagelearning: Anki Sentence Mining Alternative Apps
- Migaku: One-click flashcards with the context sentence, audio and screenshot
- Language Reactor: Chrome Web Store listing (dual subtitles, popup dictionary, playback controls)
- Anki: Audio, images and video on your flashcards
- Bubblegum
Checked on October 16, 2026 against each app's own pages.
