Set explanations to a language you understand
Choose the website language you are most comfortable reading. This setting controls navigation and learning explanations. Next, choose your target in the Learning menu. For example, an English speaker learning Chinese uses English explanations with Chinese vocabulary.
Your explanation language does not have to be your first language. If you read English comfortably, you can use the English guides while studying another target. The useful question is whether you can understand the meaning and instructions without struggling with two unfamiliar languages at once.
Use translation to check meaning
Read the target word first, listen if audio is available, and then check its meaning. 猫 (māo) means cat and 狗 (gǒu) means dog. For concrete words, translation gives you a quick check. For longer phrases, read the complete example because word-for-word replacement may produce an unnatural sentence.
Treat bilingual examples as paired expressions, not matching boxes of words. Chinese 我喜欢猫。 means I like cats. The natural English translation uses a plural form here; Chinese does not need an English-style plural ending on 猫. Notice the whole pattern before changing it.
Reduce the help gradually
During the first pass, keep the translation visible. On the second pass, try the target text before reading the explanation. On the third, use an image or your own meaning prompt and retrieve the target word with the answer hidden.
If you cannot recall it, check the answer and try again after another item. You do not need to ban translation completely. Use it to resolve uncertainty, then remove it briefly when testing recall. This separates learning with support from checking what you know independently.
Avoid transferring every rule from English
Languages divide meanings and build sentences differently. Pronouns, articles, word order, and plural marking may not work as they do in English. Learn a short example along with the vocabulary and check unfamiliar grammar when you want to make a new sentence.
Choose one practical goal for each session: understand two examples, name five objects, or say one sentence about a scene. Review your missed words on the next visit. Once a theme is familiar, try it in a different situation so that the English translation is not your only cue.