Do you want to Install a Japanese Keyboard ? So you’ve learnt hiragana and katakana and are now ready to start using Japanese on your device? Well done! This is the next logical step to progressing your communication in Japanese in the modern world. The sooner you start using written Japanese the better.
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Start writing in Japanese: How to install a Japanese Keyboard on your device
Even the Japanese hardly ever finding themselves using written pen to paper Japanese outside of the classroom nowadays. This is why it’s essential you start learning how to install and use a Japanese keyboard, whether it be on your phone, laptop or workstation.
In today’s online Japanese article, we are going to be looking at how to install the Japanese keyboard so you can start communicating in Japanese and practice using hiragana, katakana and Kanji.
How to install the Japanese keyboard on windows
So firstly, we are going to have a look at installing a standard keyboard on a windows computer, more specifically, windows 10. This will allow you to switch from English and Japanese easily to write emails, talk to friends or even apply for Jobs in Japan.
- To be able to install the Japanese keyboard for Windows 10 devices, you must first click on the menu start button.
- Open up the windows control panel.
- Under the “Clock, Language, and Region” option select “Add a language.”
- Click on “Add a language”
- Scroll down to find the keyboard titled, “日本語” and click on it, then press the add button.
- After adding it into your languages, go next to “Language options” and click on “Advanced” under “Japanese.”
We would definitely recommend leaving the input as Romaji as this will be much easier to get used to.
So this is how you install the Japanese keyboard on windows, we will learn how to use it later, let’s now look at the installation for Mac users. If you don’t have a Mac you can skip right ahead to the Iphone section.
How to install the Japanese Keyboard on Mac
Now for all of those Apple lovers out there we are going to look at installing the same keyboard on a Mac.
- Under System Preferences, press “Language & Region.”
- Click the “+” icon underneath your list of installed languages.
- Scroll down and choose “Japanese,” then press “Add.”
- Press “Use English.”
- Click on the “Keyboard preferences” option.
- Select “+,” then click “Japanese,” and finally “Add.”
- Now choose “Hiragana (Google).”
So now you have the keyboards installed on your desktop, let’s get it installed on your handheld devices.
How to install the Japanese Keyboard on your Iphone
If you want to be using Japanese on the go, then a Japanese keyboard on your phone is absolutely essential.
- First go to “Settings” and then to “General.”
- Select the “Keyboard” button and then select “Keyboards.”
- Choose “Add New Keyboard” and scroll through the different languages until you land at “Japanese.”
- Press “Japanese” and then press “Romaji.”
- Now whenever you go into “keyboard mode” on your phone, you’ll be able to click the little globe symbol to toggle between Japanese and English keyboards.
Ok so there we have it, you now have a Japanese keyboard installed across all of your devices, you have unlocked the next step on your Japanese journey. Now we are going to look at how to use these keyboards.
Using the Japanese keyboard:
Since you have selected the “romaji” keyboard this means you will be able to type in words such as “ta be ru” with English romaji and It will produce for you 食べる.
With the Japanese keyboards you can choose to either convert the romaji word to hiragana or katakana and it will also give you the option to change the hiragana to kanji. From this you are able to change choose between a multitude of possible options for the kanji.
The Japanese keyboard does take a little white to get used to but once you get used to it you will be able to reap the rewards of online communication in Japanese.
It’s very easy to switch between keyboards on each device too .