CLI Reference¶

The kotobase command line is built with Typer and rendered with Rich

It's organized into 3 command groups + a couple of root commands

Most lookup commands accept -j / --json to emit machine readable JSON instead of the panelled output

View This Information In The Terminal

kotobase --help  # (1)!

View The Full Command Tree

Lookup Commands¶

kotobase lookup Commands Query The Database

Pre-Requisite

Every lookup command needs the database
If it's missing, the command prints a hint to run kotobase db pull or kotobase db build and exits with a non-zero status

`lookup all`¶

Runs a comprehensive lookup across every source and render one aggregated panel

kotobase lookup all QUERY [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`-n / --names`	Include proper name results from JMnedict
`-w / --wildcard`	Treat `*` + `%` As Wildcards In The Query
`-sl / --sentence-limit`	Number Of Example Sentences To Show (Default `5`)
`-l / --labels`	Expand Tag Codes To Their Descriptions
`-j / --json`	Format Result As `JSON`

Examples¶

kotobase lookup all 日本語  # (1)!
kotobase lookup all "食べ*" -w  # (2)!
kotobase lookup all 田中 -n  # (3)!
kotobase lookup all 勉強 -l  # (4)!

Dictionary Etries, Kanji, JLPT, and Sentences For The Word
Treat * + % As Wildcards
Also Include Proper Names From JMnedict
Expand Dictionary Tag Codes To Their Human Description

`lookup kanji`¶

Displays the full profile of a single kanji, its readings, meanings, stroke count, grade, frequency, JLPT level, radicals, SKIP and dictionary references

kotobase lookup kanji LITERAL [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`-j / --json`	Format Result As `JSON`

Examples¶

kotobase lookup kanji 語  # (1)!
kotobase lookup kanji 語 -j  # (2)!

The Full Kanji Profile As A Panel
The Same Data As JSON

`lookup jlpt`¶

Shows the JLPT vocabulary level of a word and the JLPT level of each kanji in it

kotobase lookup jlpt WORD

Examples¶

kotobase lookup jlpt 勉強  # (1)!

The Vocabulary Level Plus Each Kanji's Level

`lookup kanji-find`¶

Searches kanji by scalar attributes, combine filters to narrow the results

kotobase lookup kanji-find [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`-s / --stroke`	Required Stroke Count
`-g / --grade`	Required School Grade
`--skip`	SKIP Query Code, Such As `1-4-3`
`-f / --freq`	Maximum Newspaper Frequency Rank
`--jlpt`	Required Tanos JLPT Level
`-l / --limit`	Maximum Results (Default `30`)
`-j / --json`	Format Results As `JSON`

Examples¶

kotobase lookup kanji-find --jlpt 5  # (1)!
kotobase lookup kanji-find -s 8 -g 2  # (2)!
kotobase lookup kanji-find --skip 1-4-3  # (3)!

Every Kanji In Tanos JLPT N5
Eight-Stroke Grade 2 Kanji
Kanji With The Given SKIP Code

`lookup radicals`¶

Lists every search radical grouped by stroke count, or finds the kanji that contain every given radical

kotobase lookup radicals [RADICALS]... [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`-j / --json`	Format Results As `JSON`

Examples¶

kotobase lookup radicals  # (1)!
kotobase lookup radicals 言 五  # (2)!

List Every Search Radical Grouped By Stroke Count
Kanji Containing Both Radicals

`lookup jlpt-list`¶

Shows a full Tanos JLPT study list for a kind and level

kotobase lookup jlpt-list KIND LEVEL [OPTIONS]

KIND is one of vocab, kanji or grammar, and LEVEL is 1 to 5

Options¶

Option	Description
`-j / --json`	Format Results As `JSON`

Examples¶

kotobase lookup jlpt-list vocab 5  # (1)!
kotobase lookup jlpt-list kanji 3  # (2)!
kotobase lookup jlpt-list grammar 2  # (3)!

The Full N5 Vocabulary List
The Full N3 Kanji List
The Full N2 Grammar List

`lookup names`¶

Looks up or browses JMnedict proper names

kotobase lookup names [FORM] [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`-t / --type`	Browse A Name Type, Such As `place`
`-j / --json`	Format Results As `JSON`

Examples¶

kotobase lookup names 田中  # (1)!
kotobase lookup names --type place  # (2)!

Search A Name By Its Form
Browse Every Name Of A Given Type

`lookup meaning`¶

Finds dictionary entries by their English meaning, using the gloss full text index

kotobase lookup meaning QUERY [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`-l / --limit`	Maximum Results (Default `30`)
`-j / --json`	Format Results As `JSON`

Examples¶

kotobase lookup meaning "to eat"  # (1)!
kotobase lookup meaning eat -l 10  # (2)!

Entries Whose Gloss Matches The Query
Cap The Number Of Results

`lookup sentences`¶

Finds Japanese example sentences containing a text, with their English translations

kotobase lookup sentences TEXT [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`--limit`	Maximum Results (Default `10`)
`-j / --json`	Format Results As `JSON`

Examples¶

kotobase lookup sentences 日本  # (1)!
kotobase lookup sentences 日本 --limit 20  # (2)!

Sentences Containing The Text
Show More Results

`lookup furigana`¶

Shows the furigana segmentation for a written form

kotobase lookup furigana WORD [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`-j / --json`	Format Result As `JSON`

Examples¶

kotobase lookup furigana 食べる  # (1)!

The Spelling Aligned To Its Reading

`lookup kanji-svg`¶

Prints a kanji's stroke order as a renderable SVG document, redirect it to a file to open in a browser

kotobase lookup kanji-svg LITERAL [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`--raw`	Emit The Raw KanjiVG Fragment Instead Of A Renderable SVG

Examples¶

kotobase lookup kanji-svg 春 > haru.svg  # (1)!
kotobase lookup kanji-svg 春 --raw  # (2)!

A Self-Contained SVG With A 109 View Box And Overridable Stroke Styling
The Original KanjiVG <kanji> Fragment, For KanjiVG-Specific Tooling

`lookup audio`¶

Lists the pronunciation audio clips for a kanji or word, or downloads them with -o

kotobase lookup audio KEY [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`-o / --out`	Directory To Save The Audio Clips Into
`-j / --json`	Format Result As `JSON`

Examples¶

kotobase lookup audio 語  # (1)!
kotobase lookup audio 語 -o ./clips  # (2)!

List Every Bundled Clip With Its Reading, Format, Source And License
Save Each Clip Into ./clips Named <reading>.<format>

Needs The Audio Pack

The Actual Audio Data Lives In The Optional Audio Pack
Install It With kotobase db pull --with-audio Or kotobase db build --with-audio

Database Commands¶

kotobase db Commands Build Or Download The Database

`db info`¶

Shows the build metadata recorded in the active database

kotobase db info

Examples¶

kotobase db info  # (1)!

Schema Version, Build Date, Size And Source Versions

`db build`¶

Downloads the upstream sources and builds the database locally

kotobase db build [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`-f / --force`	Rebuild Even When A Database Already Exists
`--with-links / --no-links`	Align Tatoeba Sentences With English (Default On)
`--with-audio / --no-audio`	Also Build The Optional Audio Pack (Default On)

Examples¶

kotobase db build  # (1)!
kotobase db build --no-audio  # (2)!
kotobase db build --force  # (3)!

Build The Core + Audio Databases
Build Only The Core Database
Rebuild Even If Present

`db pull`¶

Downloads a prebuilt database from a GitHub Release

kotobase db pull [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`-t / --tag`	Release Tag To Pull From (Default The Latest Release)
`--force`	Replace An Existing Database
`--with-audio / --no-audio`	Also Pull The Audio Pack (Default On)

Examples¶

kotobase db pull  # (1)!
kotobase db pull --no-audio  # (2)!
kotobase db pull --tag v0.3.0  # (3)!

Pull The Core + Audio Databases
Pull Only The Core Database
Pull From A Specific Release

Cache Commands¶

kotobase cache Commands Manage The Per-User Cache Directory That Holds The Databases And Downloaded Sources

`cache clear`¶

Deletes the entire cache directory, or only specific items within it

kotobase cache clear [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`-y / --yes`	Skip The Confirmation Prompt
`--sources-only`	Delete Only The Downloaded Raw Sources
`--db-only`	Delete Only The Built Or Pulled Databases

Examples¶

kotobase cache clear  # (1)!
kotobase cache clear -y  # (2)!
kotobase cache clear --db-only  # (3)!

Delete Everything (Asks First)
Delete Everything Without Confirming
Delete Only The Databases

`cache path`¶

Prints the file system path of the cache directory

kotobase cache path

Examples¶

kotobase cache path  # (1)!

The Resolved Cache Directory

`cache size`¶

Shows a breakdown of the cache disk usage

kotobase cache size

Examples¶

kotobase cache size  # (1)!

Per-Item And Total Disk Usage

Version¶

Prints the installed kotobase version

kotobase version

CLI Reference¶

Lookup Commands¶

lookup all¶

Options¶

Examples¶

lookup kanji¶

Options¶

Examples¶

lookup jlpt¶

Examples¶

lookup kanji-find¶

Options¶

Examples¶

lookup radicals¶

Options¶

Examples¶

lookup jlpt-list¶

Options¶

Examples¶

lookup names¶

Options¶

Examples¶

lookup meaning¶

Options¶

Examples¶

lookup sentences¶

Options¶

Examples¶

lookup furigana¶

Options¶

Examples¶

lookup kanji-svg¶

Options¶

Examples¶

lookup audio¶

Options¶

Examples¶

Database Commands¶

db info¶

Examples¶

db build¶

Options¶

Examples¶

db pull¶

Options¶

Examples¶

Cache Commands¶

cache clear¶

Options¶

Examples¶

cache path¶

Examples¶

cache size¶

Examples¶

Version¶

`lookup all`¶

`lookup kanji`¶

`lookup jlpt`¶

`lookup kanji-find`¶

`lookup radicals`¶

`lookup jlpt-list`¶

`lookup names`¶

`lookup meaning`¶

`lookup sentences`¶

`lookup furigana`¶

`lookup kanji-svg`¶

`lookup audio`¶

`db info`¶

`db build`¶

`db pull`¶

`cache clear`¶

`cache path`¶

`cache size`¶