Frequently asked questions

How do I learn Japanese?

It’s too big a question to answer here; consult a dedicated guide on the topic. To get better at reading specifically, getting lots of practice with real books usually yields better results than studying individual kanji or textbook examples. MaruReader is meant to make this practice more efficient by putting a high-quality learning dictionary at your fingertips while reading, and automating flashcard creation with Anki.

What dictionaries should I use?

These are the recommended dictionaries. You will get them automatically with the App Store version:

• Jitendex Japanese-English Dictionary by Stephen Kraus
• BCCWJ Frequency Dictionary by the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics
• Wadoku Pitch Accent Dictionary by Wadoku Jiten
• Kanji alive Audio by Harumi Hibino Lory and Arno Bosse

A good add-on dictionary is JMnedict, which provides proper nouns such as readings for Japanese names. Otherwise, the best dictionaries depend on your needs, which is why custom dictionaries are supported. Search the web for Yomitan dictionaries that align with your learning goals.

What should I read?

You’re more likely to stick with material you’re actually interested in reading. There are many guides, databases, and lists online with books and manga organized by level.

Can MaruReader open ebooks in non-EPUB formats like Aozora?

No, but most DRM-free ebook formats can be converted to EPUB with Calibre. For Aozora specifically, AozoraEpub3 can generate EPUBs from the .txt files available on book card pages.

Can MaruReader open manga in PDF or EPUB formats?

No, but it usually works to convert to ZIP with Calibre and import the result to MaruReader as manga.

The text recognition got a character wrong in my manga. Is it broken?

Text recognition can produce errors. MaruReader uses on-device text recognition for convenience, privacy, and good accuracy, but results can differ from cloud services.

If you know how to type the correct character, use the pen icon at the bottom of the dictionary sheet to edit the context before looking up the word again or creating an Anki note.

In the web browser, accuracy can sometimes be improved by zooming in on the text. This will not help in the manga reader, since text recognition always uses the full-resolution image for local manga.

Why does an EPUB look wrong, with text that I can’t tap?

It might be a fixed-layout EPUB. Some books, mostly older ones or PDF conversions, lack adjustable layout and may contain pictures of each page instead of text. These are not supported because text is not available for dictionary lookups. If a newer digital edition of the same book is available, it might work better in MaruReader.

Does MaruReader support Yomitan dictionaries with structured-content?

Yes.

Why does a dictionary look different or worse than in Yomitan?

• Some dictionaries use characters like the Unicode arrow → to indicate links. On iOS, some symbols appear as color emoji instead of the shape and color intended by the dictionary’s creator. Modifying the dictionary’s stylesheet can sometimes help, but using images instead of Unicode characters is a better solution for symbols that must look the same on every platform.
• MaruReader supports styles.css at the dictionary root, but has no equivalent to Yomitan’s custom popup CSS settings. If you use custom styles on desktop, that could explain the difference. A workaround is to add those styles to the dictionary’s styles.css and re-import it.
• Otherwise, it may be a bug. Please open a discussion with the dictionary name and an entry that shows the problem so it can be investigated.

How do I use MaruReader with Anki?

The Anki integrations support mining: reading and creating flashcards for unfamiliar words. See the Anki guide for full details.

MaruReader works with many of the same mining setups as Yomitan. The main limitation is that MaruReader cannot use custom Handlebars templates, only a set of values roughly corresponding to Yomitan’s default Handlebars. If your workflow needs custom Handlebars or another missing feature, open a discussion so we can look at whether it can be supported.

Why does the formatting look wrong on my Anki cards?

Make sure you are using the latest version of Anki; older versions have issues with styled content. See the Anki guide for more troubleshooting steps.

Why is it called MaruReader?

Maru is the name of the correct-answer mark in Japanese, and you’ll see more of those if you add immersion to your studies.

What if I have another question, issue, or suggestion?

Please open a discussion thread. For problems, include as many specifics as possible: the dictionary, book, or website; a screenshot of the problem; and steps to reproduce it.