On Windows, Anki is free. Download it only from apps.ankiweb.net, Anki's own site. It needs Windows 10 or Windows 11.
You need two things: the Anki app and the deck file. The deck file comes from my email or the download page, and its name ends in .apkg.
Step 1: Install Anki
- Go to apps.ankiweb.net and click Download.
- Choose Windows 10+ (x64). That is the right one for almost every home computer. (Only a few newer laptops need the Windows 11 (ARM) download instead: see "Which download?" below.)
- Open your Downloads folder and double-click the installer you just downloaded.
- Follow the installer's buttons: Next, tick I accept the terms in the License Agreement and click Next, keep Install just for you and click Next twice, then Install, and Finish when it is done. If Windows asks "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?", click Yes.
- Double-click the new Anki star icon on your desktop (or find Anki in the Start menu).
- If Anki asks which language to use, choose English and click OK. You will see a list with one deck called Default. That is normal; you can ignore it.
Which download? Open Settings > System > About and look at System type. "x64-based processor" means Windows 10+ (x64). "ARM-based processor" means Windows 11 (ARM).
Step 2: Add the deck
- Download the deck file from my email or the download page. It lands in your Downloads folder.
- Double-click the .apkg file. Anki opens and shows an import screen.
- Click Import and wait until it finishes. Pictures and sound make the file big, so this can take a minute.
- The deck is now in your list, named after the Level (for example 2024 Standard P1).
Double-click didn't work? In Anki, click File at the top left, then Import…, pick the .apkg file in Downloads and click Open.
Step 3: Set five new cards a day
Anki starts with 20 new cards a day. That is too many for a young child. Five a day keeps sessions short and calm.
- In the deck list, click the gear icon to the right of the deck, then Options.
- Under Daily Limits, change New cards/day to 5.
- Click Save.
Step 4: The first session
- Click the deck's name, then Study Now. The first card appears.
- Let your child answer, then click Show Answer (or press the space bar). Anki plays the Mandarin out loud and shows the pinyin and the English.
- Click Again if your child didn't know it, or Good if they did. Skip Easy: it hides the card for too long.
- Keep going until Anki says "Congratulations! You have finished this deck for now." That's the session.
Then do it again tomorrow. Here is the 10–15 minute daily routine, with tips for a child who is just starting out.
Want to study on a phone or tablet too? (optional)
Many families set up on the computer and study on a tablet. Make a free account at ankiweb.net, click Sync at the top of Anki and sign in. Then install Anki on the iPhone or iPad or Android device, sign in with the same account there and sync: the deck appears by itself, so you can skip the "add the deck" step on that device.
If something goes wrong
- A blue box says "Windows protected your PC": if you downloaded the installer from apps.ankiweb.net, click More info, then Run anyway.
- The installer says the app can't run on this PC: you picked the wrong download. Check "Which download?" above and download the other one.
- No sound: turn the volume up and check the speakers or headphones are switched on.
- The deck is there twice: importing the same file again doesn't make copies; it just updates the same cards. A second deck with a different name is a different Level.