Skip to main content

Japanese Typing Guide: How to Type Japanese

Typing Japanese on a standard keyboard might seem intimidating at first, but it is actually quite logical. The most common method is romaji input, where you type the phonetic spelling of Japanese words using the Latin alphabet, and the computer converts them to Japanese characters. This guide covers everything you need to know to get started.

How Romaji Input Works

Japanese uses three writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. With romaji input, you type the romanized pronunciation, and an Input Method Editor (IME) converts it to Japanese characters. For example, typing "nihongo" produces "にほんご".

Basic Hiragana:
a=あ  i=い  u=う  e=え  o=お
ka=か ki=き ku=く ke=け ko=こ
sa=さ si/shi=し su=す se=せ so=そ
ta=た ti/chi=ち tu/tsu=つ te=て to=と
na=な ni=に nu=ぬ ne=ね no=の
ha=は hi=ひ hu/fu=ふ he=へ ho=ほ
ma=ま mi=み mu=む me=め mo=も
ya=や       yu=ゆ       yo=よ
ra=ら ri=り ru=る re=れ ro=ろ
wa=わ                   wo=を
n=ん

Voiced and Semi-Voiced Consonants

Japanese has modified consonant sounds marked with dakuten (voiced) and handakuten (semi-voiced). These follow predictable patterns:

Voiced (dakuten):
ga=が gi=ぎ gu=ぐ ge=げ go=ご
za=ざ zi/ji=じ zu=ず ze=ぜ zo=ぞ
da=だ di=ぢ du/zu=づ de=で do=ど
ba=ば bi=び bu=ぶ be=べ bo=ぼ

Semi-voiced (handakuten):
pa=ぱ pi=ぴ pu=ぷ pe=ぺ po=ぽ

Special Characters

Double Consonants (Sokuon: っ)

The small tsu (っ) represents a doubled consonant sound. To type it, simply double the following consonant letter. For example:

がっこう (school) = gakkou
きって (stamp) = kitte
ざっし (magazine) = zasshi
にっき (diary) = nikki

You can also type っ directly using "xtu" or "ltu".

The N Sound (ん)

The character ん is typed as "nn". However, before a consonant (other than a vowel or "y"), a single "n" is sufficient:

かんじ (kanji) = kanji (single n before consonant)
おんな (woman) = onna (single n before consonant)
かんい (simple) = kanni (double n before vowel)
しんよう (trust) = shinnyou (double n before y)

Combination Sounds (Youon)

Combination sounds use a small ya, yu, or yo character:

きゃ=kya  きゅ=kyu  きょ=kyo
しゃ=sha  しゅ=shu  しょ=sho
ちゃ=cha  ちゅ=chu  ちょ=cho
にゃ=nya  にゅ=nyu  にょ=nyo
ひゃ=hya  ひゅ=hyu  ひょ=hyo
みゃ=mya  みゅ=myu  みょ=myo
りゃ=rya  りゅ=ryu  りょ=ryo

Tips for Efficient Japanese Typing

  • Learn the IME shortcuts: Space converts hiragana to kanji, Enter confirms the current text, and Escape cancels conversion.
  • Type in phrases, not words: The IME converts more accurately when you type longer phrases before pressing Space.
  • Practice with TypingDojo: TypingDojo supports Japanese typing practice with romaji input validation. Use the Japanese mode to improve your speed.
  • Know alternative spellings: Many characters have multiple valid romaji spellings (e.g., shi/si for し, chi/ti for ち, tsu/tu for つ). Use whichever feels most natural to you.
Practice Now