vocabison.
Site
ENFR
Chrome extension for YouTube · desktop · closed beta

Understand what they mean, right in your video.

You watch YouTube in the language you’re learning. Select a word or expression in the subtitles, and Vocabison explains what it means in that passage — figurative sense, register, the nuances the words alone don’t give you.

Join the betaHow it works ↓
Just your email · no account created

Vocabison runs on desktop Chrome. Leave your email here — you’ll get the link to open on your computer.

YouTube · subtitles · a word selected
Parce qu’on est tous coupables
icid’uncrime.
crimefigurative
Explanation language
Here, it meansA serious wrong done to yourself.
In this passageThe talk is about abandoning one’s “inner child”. “Coupables d’un crime” refers to that abandonment.
Why this word?“Crime” stresses how serious that abandonment is. It doesn’t mean breaking the law.
New selection
Observed result on a French video, condensed. Video shown as a stand-in.

The words are clear. What they mean isn’t always.

Vocabison reads the subtitles around your selection and the video’s details, then explains the meaning in this passage: a simple rephrasing, the register, an example and the nuances worth knowing. Not a dictionary entry — what the speaker means here.

  • You know the word, but not what it means here.
  • You get the sentence, but not its tone.
  • A colloquial expression or a reference makes you lose the thread.
The word alonecrimeA serious offence punishable by law.
In this passageA serious wrong done to yourself.“Crime” stresses how serious that abandonment is. It doesn’t mean breaking the law.

Choose the language that helps it click.

Clear up a nuance in your own language, or keep exploring in the language you’re learning. When you pick the video’s language, the explanation is entirely in that language — no translation block.

Learning several languages? Switch the explanation between the languages you’ve set up.

The pills change the language of the explanation only — not the video, not the subtitle track.

crimesame selection
Explanation language
Here, it meansA serious wrong done to yourself.

“Crime” stresses how serious that abandonment is. It doesn’t mean breaking the law.

EN — explained in your language

How it works

  1. 1

    Install on desktop Chrome

    Vocabison is a Chrome extension. It runs on your computer, on YouTube.

  2. 2

    Open a video and click vb

    The vb button sits in the player bar. The subtitles become selectable.

  3. 3

    Select a word or expression

    The explanation opens beside the video, in the language you choose.

No usable subtitles? Type the expression yourself. You still get an explanation — without the passage’s context.

Free, and it stays free.

A free plan that stays free, with a daily explanation allowance. Pro will be optional for more.

Access todayClosed beta, by invitationLeave your email below. Installation links go out in small groups.
The modelFree plan + optional ProThe free plan is here to stay, with a daily allowance of explanations. Pro will add capacity and some extra features, for those who want more.
Join the beta

Try Vocabison on your next YouTube video.

Leave your email to receive the beta installation link. It’s free to try, and sharing feedback is optional.

Chrome extension for desktop.

We’ll use your email to send the installation link and, if you tick the box, follow up about your experience. No newsletter. Privacy policy

Questions

Will it stay free after the beta?

Yes. The free plan is here to stay, with a daily allowance of explanations. Pro will be optional, for people who want more.

Which language can the explanation be in?

Your native language, the languages you’re learning, or the language of the video. You choose for each explanation.

Does Vocabison watch the whole video?

No. It works from the subtitles around your selection and the video’s details. It won’t catch every joke, intention or reference.

What do I need?

Google Chrome on a computer, and YouTube videos with subtitles. Without usable subtitles, you can type the expression yourself.

Where it comes from

Vocabison started about ten years ago. I built it to help my girlfriend, then in prépa, spend less time on English — hi Alice. Today it takes a new shape: a smarter tool to grow your vocabulary, video after video. A lot is still being built.