The problem of "how to learn Chinese words and remember them" almost always comes down not to willpower, but to timing. Spaced repetition is when you return to a word not "every day just in case," but at the moment when it's already starting to slip away. Then memory reinforces it as important and stops throwing it out of your head after a week.
Why regular cramming lets you down
On the first evening you easily remember 新的词 because it's still fresh. On the second day — same thing. But then life does its thing: a couple of skips, new stream of tasks, and the word turns into a familiar but foreign picture. This is normal: the brain conserves energy and keeps only what you return to "on time." Intervals create exactly this signal: "yes, this will be useful."
How it feels in practice — two short scenarios
Imagine you learned 安排 (ānpái) — "to plan, organize." On the day you learned it, you reviewed it a couple of times and relaxed. Four days pass, a colleague asks: "When's the call?" — and you want to answer in Chinese: 我们怎么安排？ ("How do we organize this?"). And suddenly you catch a pause: the word hasn't disappeared, but it comes back with effort. This is the perfect moment for spaced repetition. You open the flashcard, remember it, and your brain sort of checkmarks: "this is important, we're keeping it."
Second example — from life, without a study desk. You're learning 附近 (fùjìn) — "nearby, close by." Instead of drilling the translation, you tie the word to your route: 我家附近有一个公园 ("There's a park near my house"). The next day, walking past a coffee shop, you catch yourself thinking: 这家咖啡店就在附近 ("The coffee shop is right nearby"). This is no longer an "assignment," but a natural encounter of the word in reality — and exactly these encounters make vocabulary stick.
Rhythm that doesn't turn studying into punishment
Spaced repetition works when the repetition is short and precise. A word that's remembered easily can be released further out. A word that's remembered with effort should be seen a bit earlier. And if you didn't remember — no big deal: you didn't "fail," you just brought the word closer and gave it another chance to stick. As a result, each word gets its own tempo: some go away "for a week," others require several quick returns.
What helps remember faster than "translation"
Chinese words stick not as lists, but in context. Instead of "应该 = should" try one mini-dialogue: 我应该现在学吗？ — "Should I study now?" — 应该，十分钟就够了 — "Yes, ten minutes is enough." After a week, you remember not the dry meaning, but the intonation and situation, and the word surfaces more easily.
Finale without heroism
If you want sustainable results, focus not on "more new words," but on "proper returns." Spaced repetition is a gentle system that adapts to you: a little today, a bit later tomorrow, then less and less frequently — and at some point you notice that words no longer disappear.
And so these words live not in chaotic notes, but in a comfortable rhythm, save them along with examples and your own phrases in Tomyo — this makes reviewing easier, and Chinese really starts staying with you.