Content deleted Content added
→Language mixing: two different ways to toggle languages |
|||
| (13 intermediate revisions by 13 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{Short description|Method of entering Chinese characters into a computer}}
{{cleanup lang|date=October 2023}}
{{External links|date=January 2022}}
[[Image:Scim-pinyin-weijibaike.png|thumb|300px|Screenshot of [[Smart Common Input Method|SCIM]]'s Smart Pinyin
[[File:Typing Chinese characters with SunPinyin screencast.webm|thumb|Typing using [[Intelligent Input Bus|IBus]] and SunPinyin]]
The '''pinyin method''' ({{lang-zh|s=拼音输入法|t=拼音輸入法|p=pīnyīn shūrù fǎ}}) refers to a family of [[Chinese input methods for computers|input methods]] based on the [[pinyin]] method of romanization.
In the most basic form, the pinyin method allows a user to input [[Chinese characters]] by entering the pinyin of a Chinese character and then presenting the user with a list of possible characters with that [[Standard Chinese phonology|pronunciation]]. However, there are a number of slightly different such systems in use, and modern pinyin methods provide a number of convenient features.
==Advantages and disadvantages==
The obvious advantage of pinyin-based input methods the ease of learning for [[Standard Chinese]] speakers. Those who are familiar with pinyin and are able to recognize the resulting characters would be able to input them with almost no training, compared to other input methods.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pinyinjoe.com/about-pinyin-input.htm|title=About Pinyin input (and other methods): Chinese typing basics and background :: Pinyin Joe|website=www.pinyinjoe.com|access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref> It does not require the user to be able to construct the character from scratch, as one would do in [[written Chinese]]. Since all children in [[
For people who cannot speak Standard Chinese, the main advantage of pinyin becomes a disadvantage, as they will need to learn the Standard Chinese pronunciation of characters before they are able to use this input method.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.writtenchinese.com/pros-cons-learning-chinese-pinyin/|title=Pros and Cons of Learning Chinese with Pinyin|date=2014-04-18|website=Written Chinese|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref> Also, because pinyin and other [[pronunciation]]-based input methods do not rely on the written formation of the character for input (as do [[Stroke (CJK character)|stroke-based]] input methods like [[Cangjie input method|Cangjie]]), they may cause [[language attrition]] and skill loss in adults, and it may be a learning barrier for written Chinese in children.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B01E1D9163EF932A35751C0A9679C8B63|title=Where the PC Is Mightier Than the Pen|last=Lee|first=Jennifer|date=2001-02-01|work=[[New York Times]]|access-date=2008-07-29}}</ref>
== Elements and features ==
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2020}}{{
Pinyin input methods differ in a number of possible aspects. Most pinyin input methods provide convenience features to speed up input. Some of these features can speed up typing immensely.
Line 32 ⟶ 33:
With the exception of intonation, there are two extended Latin vowels in pinyin. They are [[ü]] (U-umlaut) and [[ê]] (E-circumflex). Given that the US keyboard layout is the most common keyboard layout in China, any pinyin method implementation would need to be able to facilitate the input of those vowels on US keyboard.
Since the letter "v" is unused in Mandarin pinyin, it is universally used as an alias for ü. For example, typing "nv" into the input method would bring up the candidate list for {{lang-zh|p=nǚ}}.
The handling of ê is not as universal, since the character [[wikt:欸|欸]] is the only commonly used character with this pronunciation. It is an [[interjection]] roughly equivalent to "[[Eh]]" in English. Some IMEs, such as Google Pinyin, merge it into "e", while others create an additional letter combination for it, such as "ea" or "eh", or "ei" in iOS. Others would simply drop this sound.
=== Treatment of hm, hng, ng, n ===
The character 嗯 (ng) can (or should<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://news.xwh.cn/news/system/2013/05/16/010353431.shtml
=== Usage statistics and user dictionaries ===
Line 43 ⟶ 44:
=== Abbreviation ===
Abbreviation is a feature that allows the user to omit all but the first or first couple of letters in the pinyin spelling. This feature can speed up the input of long word phrases significantly. Under this feature, the user can enter the word for "concert" ({{lang-zh|s=音乐会|t=音樂會|p=yīnyuèhuì}}) by typing "yyh" as opposed to "yinyuehui".
In systems that support user-defined phrases, users can even define their own abbreviations that might not follow standard pinyin rules.
Line 51 ⟶ 52:
=== Word prediction ===
[[Word prediction]] ({{lang-zh|s=联想|t=聯想|p=liánxiǎng|l=association}}) is a feature of an input method that attempts to guess the next series of characters that the user is attempting to enter. This feature is often used to refer to two different mechanisms that have similar functions.
One of these mechanisms is akin to an [[auto-complete]] function for user input. While the user is typing the appropriate pinyin, the input method would take the input and look up all possible word phrases that might match the user input even though the input is incomplete. For example, when the user enters "shang", the input method would show "上海" (Shanghai) as a word candidate under this feature.
Line 58 ⟶ 59:
=== Double pinyin ===
[[File:MSPY-double-pinyin.svg|thumb|The default double pinyin scheme in
Vowel groups in pinyin can be up to four letters long. ''Double pinyin'' (双拼) is a method whereby longer vowel groups are assigned to consonant keys as shortcuts, and zh, ch, sh are assigned to vowel keys as shortcuts. Thus, when the input method expects a vowel, the user can use the shortcuts to speed up typing.
In the
=== Typo correction ===
Line 67 ⟶ 68:
=== Language mixing ===
Most advanced pinyin method implementations allow the mixing of English into an input stream without requiring the user to change the language mode.
The following examples show
* "zhe ge [switch to English] SQL [switch to Chinese] loudong keyi tanhuan zhengge xitong."
* "zhe ge [enable Caps Lock] SQL [disable Caps Lock] loudong keyi tanhuan zhengge xitong."
==Implementations==
{{External links|section|date=September 2017}}
The following are the most popular pinyin method editors used in [[
=== Cross platform ===
Line 81 ⟶ 82:
=== Windows ===
*
*[[ZNABC]], bundled with Simplified Chinese edition of Windows XP, developed by [[Peking University]] (智能ABC输入法).
*[[Sogou Pinyin]] (搜狗拼音输入法).
*[[Google Pinyin]], Google's implementation for Windows and Android.
*
*[http://py.qq.com/ QQ Pinyin] ({{lang|zh-Hans|QQ拼音输入法}})
*[http://ime.baidu.com/index.html?from=fc_client Baidu Pinyin] ({{lang|zh-Hans|百度拼音输入法}})
*
=== Linux/Unix ===
Line 111 ⟶ 112:
*[[Chinese input methods for computers]]
*[[Keyboard layout]]
*[[Wāpuro rōmaji]]
==References==
Line 116 ⟶ 118:
==External links==
{{Chinese language}}
{{Input method}}
Line 124 ⟶ 123:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinyin Input Method}}
[[Category:
[[Category:Han pinyin input]]
| |||