Tune sentence detection: when the video pauses
Where a sentence ends decides how big each lesson is. The defaults suit most shows; this page is for when the cards feel too long, too short, or when a speaker never seems to breathe.
All of these live in Settings then Session then Listening (Speaking has its own copy of the same settings, used by its Auto input mode). Session changes apply the next time you start a session.
Auto-pause and the spacebar
Under Sentence detection:
- Auto-pause at sentence end — on by default. Turn it off to let the video run: a card still appears for every sentence, but the player never stops, so you get a running translation alongside the show.
- Spacebar control — “Press space to pause playback and translate the current sentence, then space again to continue.” On by default. It works while another app has focus thanks to the Accessibility permission every Listening session needs.
Auto-pause off and spacebar on is a good setup for easier material: watch without interruptions, glance at the cards as they roll by, and tap Space to stop on a sentence you want to study.
Detection mode
- Semantic (understands sentences) — the default. The AI waits until what was said is a complete thought, so a speaker who pauses mid-sentence to think doesn’t get cut in half.
- Silence-based — cuts after a gap in the sound. It is more predictable for slow, clearly separated speech such as learner podcasts or dictation.
Eagerness (semantic mode)
How quickly the detector decides a sentence is finished:
- Auto — the default.
- Low — longer sentences — waits longer; good for formal speech and documentaries, where sentences are long and you want them whole.
- Medium
- High — split sooner — shorter cards; good for beginners and for rapid back-and-forth dialogue.
Silence duration (silence-based mode)
How long a pause must be to end a sentence, from 300 ms to 1500 ms (700 ms by default). Shorter means more, smaller cards.
Sentence length limit
Some speakers — news anchors, sports commentators, enthusiastic YouTubers — talk without a break. Under Sentence length limit, turn on Limit how long a sentence can run and set Maximum length between 3 and 15 seconds. The app then pauses and translates after that long even if the sentence hasn’t ended, or at the natural sentence end, whichever comes first.
It is off by default. Independently of this setting, a sentence is always translated after 60 seconds of non-stop speech.
Recipes
| You’re watching | Try |
|---|---|
| Drama or anime with natural dialogue | Semantic, Auto — the defaults |
| Rapid-fire talk shows, commentary | Semantic, High, length limit 6–8 s |
| Documentaries, lectures, audiobooks | Semantic, Low |
| Slow learner podcasts, dictation | Silence-based, 700–1000 ms |
| Material you mostly understand | Auto-pause off, Space to stop on a sentence |