Motoko Ueyama

How to read & write Japanese with computer for Windows users

Assuming that you use computers with Windows systems, you need to have the following two in order to read and write Japanese text:

  1. Japanese fonts & editor (available in all computers of the computer lab)
  2. English keyboard layout

Japanese language editor assumes that you use the English keyboard layout. To learn where each key is located on the English keyboard layout, open:Programmi > Accesso facilitato > tastiera schermo -> inglese (then the pop-up window of the English keyboard layout appears)

You can also use the following:

Select Japanese input mode

  • Open an application that supports Japanese language (e.g., MS Word, Mozilla, Netscape Composer), and create a new file.
  • Find the list of languages available in the computer at the lower right of the desktop .
  • Single-click on that, and select Japanese.
  • The following window pops out. Single-click on the A in the box on the left.
  • Then the following list is displayed. Select the top option 全角ひらがな(two-byte hiragana). This should enable you to enter Japanese text by using Roman characters.

Write Japanese text

Hiragana and kanji

  • Type in the letters T O U K Y O U
  • The input will change in the highlighted sequence of hiragana: とうきょう. If you want to convert hiragana into kanji, press the space bar. You should get the kanji for Tokyo: 東京.
  • To accept this option, press the return/enter key.

Write katakana

  • Type in the letters M A K U D O N A R U D O
  • The input will change in the highlighted sequence of hiragana (まくどなるど).
  • This hiragana sequence can be converted to katakana by following either of the following two steps:

(1) press the space bar (because the program recognizes that McDonalds is a foreign word that should be written in katakana) or (2) press the F7 key at the top of your keyboard. The space bar will only convert to katakana words that the program recognizes, while the F7 key will convert anything to katakana.

  • Now you will see this word written in katakana: マクドナルド(MacDonald)

How to type small lettersっ,ゃ, ゅ, ょ

  • The basic principle -> type words with these characters as you would transcribe the words in hiragana:

例CHOTTO -> ちょっと,

HYAKU -> ひゃく, KYUU -> きゅう

KYOU* -> きょう(oggi)

*ATT: this word is pronounced as [kyoo] with a long vowel [oo], but we do not type in KYOO. Try to think which roman character corresponds to each hiragana when typing in Japnaese words.

ぼうし (BO + U + SHI; not BO + O + SHI)

えいが (E + I + GA; not E + E + GA)

How to type ん -> type N twice

例NIHONN -> にほん, NIHONNGO -> にほんご

KANA -> かな, KANN -> かん, KANN+NA -> かんな

How to type ー -> type the hyphen mark “—”(located immediately on the right side of the key of number zero “0” in the English keyboard layout)

例BO−RU -> ボ−ル (ball), KA−DO -> カード (card)

Typing Exercise (タイプの)

練習１：みず (acqua)

おちゃ (tè)

ありがとう

こんにちは

おとうさん

えいが(film)

べんきょう(studio)

ゆうびんきょく

練習２：じゅっぷん（十分）-> 10 minuti

にちようび（日曜日）-> domenica

きょう（今日）-> oggi

練習３：スポ−ツ(sports)

ハンバ−ガ−(hamburger)

コーヒー(caffè)

ジョバノッティ (Jovanotti)

フォルリ(Forlì)

練習４：Type your simple self-introduction.

例はじめまして。のなまえは[your name] です。

ボロ−ニャのです。[your town] からました。

は[your major] です。どうぞよろしく！

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