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Use a super quick Kana syllabary switching shortcut System
This is a boon for those who have to write a lot of Japanese, as there is a lot of switching between the two syllabaries (Hiragana and Katakana). Aside from putting the Input Menu in the Menu Bar (System Preferences » International » Input Menu Tab » Turn on Kotoeri, and make sure Show Input Menu in Menu Bar is checked), and using the Command-Space Bar and the Command-Option-Space Bar shortcuts (System Preferences » Keyboard & Mouse » Keyboard Shortcuts; deselect Spotlight; select Input Menu), you can switch between Hiragana and Katakana on the fly by holding down Shift while typing.

As an example, typing in わたしは レイ です。requires Hiragana, Katakana, and Hiragana again. The quickest way to write this sentence starting from the US English Keyboard would be as follows (assuming you enabled the Command-Space Bar switching method:
  1. Press Command-Space Bar.
  2. Type the following keys: "watashiha " (including the trailing space).
  3. Hold down the Shift key to switch to Katakana, then type "REI ".
  4. Let go of Shift to switch back to Hiragana, and type "desu."
[robg adds: This worked as described; the Shift key toggles between the two syllabaries.]
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Use a super quick Kana syllabary switching shortcut | 8 comments | Create New Account
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Use a super quick Kana syllabary switching shortcut
Authored by: elmimmo on Mar 11, '08 08:13:08AM
And then, change Kotoeri's settings to use Caps Lock to change from Japanese to Romaji for even faster mixing of Romaji, Hiragana and Katakana.

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Use a super quick Kana syllabary switching shortcut
Authored by: Stormchild on Mar 11, '08 05:58:14PM

I was just about to mention the same thing -- using Caps Lock to switch between Romaji and Hiragana is extremely quick and convenient. I suggest setting it to switch to Romaji when Caps Lock is "up" (rather than switching into Hiragana input mode when Caps Lock is "down"). This allows you to switch between various kana input modes, and have it remember which one you had selected when switching back and forth between Japanese and Romaji input modes. You may have to experiment with it a little to appreciate the subtle difference.

But even if you don't use Caps Lock to switch input modes, there's still another way to do it that (IMO) is quicker and easier than cycling through all the input modes with Cmd-space. Kotoeri has shortcuts for each input mode, allowing you to switch directly to whichever one you want instead of stepping through all of them.

Control-shift-J : Hiragana
Control-shift-K: Katakana
Control-shift-L: Full-width Romaji
Control-shift-; (semicolon) : Romaji

Note that the shortcuts change depending on which of the Kotoeri input modes you have enabled. I have Half-width Katakana and Ainu turned off. If you enable Half-width Katakana, it takes over the Control-shift-; (semicolon) shortcut, and Romaji then moves over to Control-shift-' (apostrophe).



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Use a super quick Kana syllabary switching shortcut
Authored by: macgruder on Mar 11, '08 08:45:26AM
Somewhat off topic, but people reading this would probably find this Kanji to Hiragana converter useful.

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Use a super quick Kana syllabary switching shortcut
Authored by: jediknil on Mar 11, '08 09:30:31AM

Mac OS X provides this service as well; if you're in a Japanese input mode and select a bunch of text, you can reverse-convert it with Control-Shift-R (a shortcut in the Japanese section of the input menu). Unfortunatetly this only works for editable text and goes one word at a time, so the tool mentioned here might still be useful.



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Use a super quick Kana syllabary switching shortcut
Authored by: Kirigakure on Mar 11, '08 09:53:03PM

Did you just discover this? We've been doing this for literally years on OS X. It's definitely a time saver, and makes Kotoeri input significantly smoother.

BH

Heh.



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Command-Space vs. Space-Command
Authored by: Chas on Mar 11, '08 11:19:58PM

That was a pretty silly tip, all kana input methods that I know of use shift for katakana. But here's a better tip.

One of the big problems with Command-Space to change input methods, is that it overrides Adobe apps that use Command-Space for zoom. If you hit Cmd.-Space to zoom in Photoshop, for example, you just get inputs switching and no zoom.
The trick is to not use Command-Space in Adobe apps, but instead do Space-Command. If you hit and hold the Space key before Command, you still get zoom and keyboards will not switch.



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Use a super quick Kana syllabary switching shortcut
Authored by: erikjohansson on Mar 11, '08 11:58:34PM

I use this trick all the time as it saves you from switching between modes.

Some other useful keyboard shortcuts when in Japanese input mode:

To change text to katakana: press option + x
To change text to romaji: press option + s
To change text to full-width romaji: press option + c
To change text to half-width katakana: press option + a

NOTE:
This can only be done while the text is still underlined, that is, before you hit spacebar or enter to get the word suggestion. They also require the specified mode to be available in the kotoeri input menu I think.

option + s is especially useful when you're still in Japanese mode and entered something that needs to be in romaji (like a URL)




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Use a super quick Kana syllabary switching shortcut
Authored by: VxJasonxV on Mar 12, '08 01:07:59PM

One more reason why the Mac IME blows Windows' out of the water. Your comment is GREAT, and I think this shortcut should also be put into the hint.

Absolutely superbly helpful. Thanks!



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