Reviewing a word means meeting it again, a little later each time, in a new sentence with a real meaning. The gaps between reviews help the word stay in memory, and the new sentences show how the word behaves in different settings. It supports every other skill in this topic, because a word you cannot recall cannot be used in writing.
This lesson follows relating punctuation to a sentence boundary and closes Characters, words and context.
Why spacing and variety work
Reading a word ten times in one evening feels productive, but the memory fades within days. Meeting it on separate days forces you to recall it each time. That effort is what makes it last.
Variety matters as much. If the example is always the same sentence, you remember the sentence. If the example changes, you remember the word and the ways it fits.
A review routine
- Day 0: learn the word with one real sentence and two partner phrases.
- Day 1: cover the meaning, try to recall it, then write a new sentence.
- Day 3: write another sentence in a different setting (school, family, news).
- Day 7: use the word in a short paragraph of two or three sentences.
- Day 14: recall it with no notes. If you struggle, restart the cycle.
Record each date on your card. The mistake log and retest queue can hold these dates for you.
Worked example
The word is 坚持 (jiānchí), “to persist, to keep at it”. These are invented sentences.
| Day | Task | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Learn | 虽然很累，他还是坚持每天跑步。 |
| 1 | New sentence | 她坚持练习钢琴，终于通过了考试。 |
| 3 | New setting | 老师鼓励我们坚持到最后。 |
| 7 | Short paragraph | 学习中文需要耐心。只要坚持每天读一点，进步就会慢慢出现。 |
| 14 | Recall | Write a sentence with no notes. |
Each sentence uses the word in a different setting, with a different partner (跑步, 练习, 到最后, 每天读).
Notice that the partner 坚持 + verb recurs. This is a collocation (see using a new word in a natural collocation) that you can now use automatically.
A mistake that looks reasonable
A student plans to learn 坚持 by writing the same sentence ten times on day 0.
Wrong plan: 虽然很累，他还是坚持每天跑步。 × 10 on one evening.
The result is neat but shallow. On day 7, the student remembers the sentence but cannot use the word in a new context.
Correction: write the sentence once on day 0, and write a fresh one on each later day. If a new sentence is hard to write, that shows exactly which part of the word is not secure yet.
Self-check
1. Why change the sentence at each review?
Show answer
A new sentence makes you retrieve the word and choose partners again, which is what writing tasks demand. A copied sentence practises only the hand.
2. The word 珍惜 (zhēnxī, to treasure) was learnt today. Plan three reviews.
Show answer
One possible plan: tomorrow (a sentence about time, 珍惜时间), day 3 (a sentence about people, 珍惜朋友), day 7 (a short paragraph). Any plan with growing gaps and new sentences is fine.
3. On day 14 you cannot recall a word. What should you do?
Show answer
Reread the original sentence and partners, then restart the cycle at day 1. Bringing the reviews closer together is normal for a word that has not stuck yet.
Where to go next
Put the five skills together in the mixed practice set. The mistake log and retest queue is useful for tracking which words need a closer review.
If you would like a teacher to build a review rhythm around your timetable and check your sentences, our team offers online one-to-one Chinese tuition.