Saving phrases is slower than saving words, and there issues with counting learned phrases. There is a way around this, and it is an excellent one. A suggestion from dooo!
To save a phrase, just save the most important word in the phrase. You can then edit the captured phrase to get it right. Then when you go to your flash card view, change the setting to see the phrase on the front page of the card. As dooo says:
"I adapted by just LingQing the most important looking word in the phrase, then changing my flashcard settings to reviewing from the phrase on one side to the word and hint on the other…
I actually found this flashcard setting to be better for my LingQ review in general because it forces me to read unknown words and phrases in context while I guess the meaning. Also since words are more likely than phrases to reappear in other texts , it makes the cross-referencing of LingQs more interesting. "
This assumes that the phrase’s meaning is more or less evident and you are LingQing to get used to it. If the phrase as a whole is not clear, EG “He kicked the bucket.” (= “He died.”) you’ll need to find out the meaning of the phrase perhaps by using the “Ask a tutor” function.
Of course, in any language, the number of phrases is unlimited and the number of words is limited.
The point in LingQ is that we only save words or phrases that we want to learn. That is a limited number.
Personally I usually find it more useful to save words, since these are the fundamental building blocks of the language. The idea of making certain phrases appear on the front page of our Flash Cards is an excellent one, since it helps us learn useful phrases connected with the words we are learning. We can even save words we already know, just in order to be able to review a phrase that we find particularly useful.
@Steve, dooo - Thanks for the idea of having only the phrase showing on the first side of the flashcard. This is definitely a more brain-engaging way to practice the cards.
“Personally I usually find it more useful to save words, since these are the fundamental building blocks of the language.”
This is true if you see language learning as primarily based on listening and reading, with actively producing the language a more or less spontaneous result of being in a situation where you need to produce.
I think the reason people get hung up on phrases are that they imagine fluency as language production and they want to prepare for that moment.
"@dooo since you agree that there are more phrases than words don’t you agree people will reach a point where they do not have free word to lingq for new phrases ? "
No. It is very unlikely that you will have LingQed every word in a phrase that you want to learn.
"Also if we lingq a word for a phrase - only the word will be uncolored as known in stead of the all phrase - that makes the site losing one of its asset - the colors party. And if you uncolor yourself the rest of the phrase you are losing more words to lingq for other phrases. "
You are also greatly increasing the likelihood of seeing the word in new contexts with the “Examples” button, something that is unlike with a LingQed phrase.