注音鍵盤
The zhuyin keyboard
Typing Chinese with zhuyin means spelling out a syllable's sound and picking the character you meant. The standard layout in Taiwan is called Dai Chien (大千): initials sit on the left of the keyboard, finals on the right, and the four tone marks along the number row.
The layout
symbolstone marks
How typing actually works
You type the symbols of a syllable in order, then a tone, then space. The IME shows every character with that reading and you pick one. To type 你好 you press S-U-3 for ㄋㄧˇ then C-L-3 for ㄏㄠˇ — the same keystrokes a Taiwanese schoolchild learns.
Turning it on
iPhone and iPad
- 1Open Settings, then General, then Keyboard, then Keyboards.
- 2Tap Add New Keyboard and choose Chinese (Traditional).
- 3Pick Zhuyin — the layout is called 注音.
- 4Switch to it with the globe key while typing.
Android
- 1Open Settings, then System, then Languages & input.
- 2Add Chinese (Traditional) to your keyboard languages.
- 3In Gboard's language settings, choose the Zhuyin layout.
- 4Switch layouts with the globe key on the keyboard.
Windows
- 1Open Settings, then Time & language, then Language & region.
- 2Add Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan).
- 3Under its language options, add the Microsoft Bopomofo input method.
- 4Switch input methods with Windows key + Space.
macOS
- 1Open System Settings, then Keyboard, then Input Sources.
- 2Click Add and choose Traditional Chinese.
- 3Select Zhuyin.
- 4Switch with Control + Space.
Getting fast
Layout knowledge is not the hard part — speed is. Sentence Typer in the app puts a real zhuyin keyboard in front of you and has you build whole sentences, which is the only way the key positions stop needing conscious thought.