Lemma

approved

by Sabin Pokharel

An Obsidian plugin for creating and reviewing flashcards powered by the FSRS spaced repetition algorithm. - This plugin has not been manually reviewed by Obsidian staff.

โ†“ 131 downloadsUpdated 1mo ago0BSD
Obsidian Plugin Version License FSRS Platform



๐Ÿง  Lemma โ€” 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 โ€” right where your knowledge lives.

Install in Obsidian ย  Report Bug ย  Request Feature


๐Ÿ“ธ See It in Action

Lemma Dashboard โ€” all your decks with due counts at a glance Immersive review mode with FSRS scheduling and LaTeX support

Mobile dashboard Mobile review โ€” full screen, native feel Mobile statistics panel

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


โœจ 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.

FeatureLemmaAnkiOther SR Plugins
Lives inside Obsidianโœ…โŒโœ…
FSRS 4.5 algorithmโœ…โœ… (addon)Partial
Native mobile supportโœ…โœ…โš ๏ธ varies
LaTeX / rich Markdownโœ…โœ…โš ๏ธ varies
Cross-device sync (CouchDB)โœ…โœ…โŒ
Custom study sessionsโœ…โœ…โŒ
Zero file pollutionโœ…N/Aโš ๏ธ varies
Open source & freeโœ…โœ…โœ…

๐Ÿš€ Features

๐Ÿ”ฌ FSRS Scheduling โ€” 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 โ€” not a one-size-fits-all approximation.

๐Ÿ“ 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** โ€” produces ATP through cellular respiration.

๐Ÿ”ต Cloze Deletions โ€” Fill-in-the-Blank Style

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

Each cloze number becomes a separate, independently scheduled card.

๐Ÿ“Š Dashboard View

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

๐ŸŽฏ 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.

๐Ÿ“ˆ Review Statistics

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

๐Ÿ“ฑ 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.

โ˜๏ธ 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.


โšก Quick Start (2 minutes)

Step 1: Install from Community Plugins โ†’ 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 โ†’ "Open dashboard"

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

๐Ÿ“– Full card syntax guide: FLASHCARD_GUIDE.md


๐Ÿƒ 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==.

๐Ÿ’ก Pro tip: Add a ^block-id to any card so its review history persists even when you edit the card text.


โŒจ๏ธ Keyboard Shortcuts

KeyAction
Space / EnterReveal answer
1Again (forgot)
2Hard
3Good
4Easy
EscExit session

๐Ÿ›  Commands

CommandDescription
Add a new flashcardInsert a card template with a pre-generated block ID
Open dashboardOpen the Lemma deck overview
Sync nowTrigger a manual CouchDB sync
Check sync statusView sync connection status
Reset all card progressClear all scheduling data

โš™๏ธ Settings

SettingDescription
Deck tagTag that marks a note as a deck (default: flashcards)
Max new cards/dayDaily cap on new card introductions
Max reviews/dayDaily cap on review cards
Review font sizeFont size in the review modal
FSRS parametersAdvanced: tune the scheduling algorithm to your memory
PouchDB storageUse IndexedDB for large collections (10k+ cards)
SyncCouchDB server URL, username, and password

๐Ÿ“ฆ Installation

Option A โ€” Community Plugin Browser (Recommended)

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

Option B โ€” Direct Install Link

Click โ†’ Add to Obsidian

Option C โ€” 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 โ†’ Community plugins

๐Ÿค Contributing

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


๐Ÿ“„ License

ISC License โ€” see LICENSE for details.


๐Ÿ“‹ Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for the full release history.


If Lemma helps you study smarter, consider giving it a โญ on GitHub โ€” it helps others discover it!

Made with โค๏ธ by Sabin Pokharel

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