Learning to read and write Chinese is one thing. Actually typing it on your devices is another challenge entirely. The good news is that once you understand how Chinese input works, it becomes surprisingly fast and intuitive. Here is everything you need to get started.
How Chinese Input Methods Work
Unlike English, Chinese has tens of thousands of characters. Keyboards only have 26 letters, so a special piece of software called an Input Method Editor (IME) sits between your keystrokes and the screen. You type phonetically using , and the IME suggests the matching for you to select.
For example, if you type ni hao, the IME will offer you 你好 (nǐ hǎo), meaning "hello." You tap or click the correct suggestion, and the characters appear. The more you use the keyboard, the better it learns your habits and puts your most-used words at the top of the list.
There are also stroke-based input methods, but for learners who already know , pinyin input is by far the easiest place to start.
Setting Up Chinese on Your Phone
Phones make it especially simple to add a Chinese keyboard. Follow these steps depending on your device:
iPhone (iOS)
- Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard.
- Select Chinese Simplified (for Mainland China standard) or Chinese Traditional (for Taiwan/Hong Kong).
