🧠 Lemma — Flashcards for Obsidian

The modern, FSRS-powered flashcard plugin that lives inside your notes.
No separate app. No data export. Just write, tag, and study — right where your knowledge lives.

📸 See It in Action

Desktop + Mobile · LaTeX Math Support · Activity Charts · Custom Study Sessions

✨ Why Lemma?

Most spaced repetition tools force you to leave Obsidian, export your notes, and manage a separate database. Lemma doesn't.

Your notes are your decks. Add a #flashcards tag to any note, write cards in familiar Markdown, and Lemma handles the science of when to review them.

🚀 Features

🔬 FSRS Scheduling — The Science of Memory

Lemma uses FSRS 4.5 (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler), the state-of-the-art algorithm developed from 20 years of cognitive science research. It outperforms classic SM-2 by learning your forgetting curve — not a one-size-fits-all approximation.

📝 Cards Live in Your Notes

Write flashcards directly in any Markdown note. No imports, no exports, no app switching.

---card--- ^fsrs-abc123
What is the powerhouse of the cell?
---
**Mitochondria** — produces ATP through cellular respiration.

🔵 Cloze Deletions — Fill-in-the-Blank Style

The ==c1::mitochondria== is the powerhouse of the ==c2::cell==.

Each cloze number becomes a separate, independently scheduled card.

📊 Dashboard View

See all your decks in one place — due counts, new cards, and total reviewed — so you always know exactly where to focus.

🎯 Custom Study Sessions

Cramming for an exam? Filter cards by tag, card state (new / learning / due), or set a card limit. Exam mode is just three clicks away.

📈 Review Statistics

Track your 30-day activity streak and 7-day forecast chart to stay consistent and motivated.

📱 Full Mobile Support

Lemma is built for both desktop and mobile. The review interface is fully responsive, with native safe-area support for notched devices and large tap targets.

☁️ Optional CouchDB Sync

Already running a self-hosted CouchDB instance (or using a service like Cloudant)? Connect once and your review history syncs seamlessly across all devices.

⚡ Quick Start (2 minutes)

Step 1: Install from Community Plugins → search "Lemma"

Step 2: Add #flashcards to any note's frontmatter or inline

---
tags: [flashcards]
---

Step 3: Write your first card

---card--- ^my-first-card
What is spaced repetition?
---
A learning technique that schedules reviews at increasing intervals to maximize long-term retention.

Step 4: Open the Lemma Dashboard from the status bar or Command Palette → "Open dashboard"

That's it. Lemma automatically detects your cards and schedules them for optimal review.

📖 Full card syntax guide: FLASHCARD_GUIDE.md

🃏 Card Formats

Basic Q&A Cards

---card--- ^unique-id
Front content (question)
---
Back content (answer, supports **Markdown**, $LaTeX$, ![[images]], and more)

Cloze Deletion Cards

The ==c1::Ebbinghaus== forgetting curve shows memory decays without ==c2::repetition==.

💡 Pro tip: Add a ^block-id to any card so its review history persists even when you edit the card text.

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

🛠 Commands

⚙️ Settings

📦 Installation

Option A — Community Plugin Browser (Recommended)

1. Open Settings → Community plugins
2. Click Browse and search for Lemma
3. Click Install, then Enable

Option B — Direct Install Link

Click → Add to Obsidian

Option C — Manual Installation

1. Download the latest release
2. Copy main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css to:

   <your-vault>/.obsidian/plugins/lemma-flashcards/
   

3. Reload Obsidian and enable the plugin under Settings → Community plugins

🤝 Contributing

Bug reports, feature requests, and PRs are all welcome!

• Found a bug? Open an issue
• Have an idea? Start a discussion
• Want to contribute code? Fork the repo and open a PR against main

📄 License

ISC License — see LICENSE for details.

📋 Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for the full release history.