mardi 19 février 2008

How to type Chinese with my computer?

This is just based on my own experience. I use Windows XP so I guess for Vista it is slightly similar...

Initially, you are using French or English Windows. The oriental languages are not activated yet. If you want to be able to type these (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai etc...) just go in Configuration Panel (Panneau de Configuration) then choose Regional Options, Language, Time, etc... (Options Régionales et Linguistiques).

A new window open, now click on "Languages" and tick the two boxes "Install the file for the complex script languages...." and the second one.
You need to insert your CD of Windows because the language files needed may not be on your hard disk yet.

Just reboot the computer, and TADAAA! you ALMOST got it :)

Go back to Regional options and languages (Options Régionales et Linguistiques), click on "Languages" (Langues) and click on "Details" (Détails) lol.

A new box appears showing the main language used for the computer and other available. Click on Add and choose Chinese of any language you want.

More specifically, for Chinese, I really like the QuanPin input system. It's the smartest for those who want to use pinYin.

After choosing, click Apply, and OK. Now you can type it. You need to choose Chinese.

Useful tips: press "ALT and Shift" to change language and conveniently switch between two keyboards.
(When you type PinYin you're actually based on a QWERTY keyboard and not an AZERTY one.)

Good luck! ;)

Websites, Software, and so many stuff about Chinese!

There are so many stuff on the web that are dedicated to learning chinese.

On this post, I decided to gather the few (quite a lot actually) that I consider helpful or interesting. Check it out! :)


YELLOW BRIDGE provides a lot of useful tools:

In the dictionnary section,

-chinese-english,
-english-chinese,
-pinyin-chinese
-a little summary of the etymology of each character,
-and also animations showing the strokes order.

You will also find other tools such as "flashcards" to help you practice and check your knowledge.

http://www.yellowbridge.com/


The 3000 most commonly used chinese characters in order of frequency.

Find the most used chinese characters ranked compared to their frequency of use.
It's kind of awesome work that has been done here.

http://www.zein.se/patrick/3000char.html



NCIKU

NCIKU is the dictionnary completing the few things lacking to Yellow Bridge: the handwriting recogniser: You found a sign in a text but you have no idea of how to pronounce it, and can't type it in the computer, etc etc...

Here it is: just go on NCIKU, click on "Handwrite characters" and draw the sign, NCIKU finds it for you.

Many other tools available on this website as well.

http://www.nciku.com/



CHINE INFORMATIONS (French)

This site (French) gathers loads of stuff, cool and useful softwares, regularly updated news about China, chinese lessons, and also interesting things such as the 236 words and expressions censored on Internet in China:
Les 236 mots et expressions censurés sur Internet en Chine


PPSTREAM (Watch Chinese TVs!)

Thanks to this software you can watch sooooo many different chinese TV programms through P2P (?), and it's awesome!

This link is from Chine Information because if you go on PPSTREAM.com you'll get only the chinese Version.

Get PPSTREAM (free)




COZY CHINESE

It provides helpful tools such as Audio Lessons, Dictionnary, Strokes order and nice gadgets...

http://www.cozychinese.com



ADSOTRANS

I like that one: the converter: type in your text in chinese and you'll get an annotated texte (the translation and pronounciation appears when you put the mouse over a specific word).

http://adsotrans.com/



CHINESE ETYMOLOGY

a huuuuge work has been done here to gather the etyomology of Chinese characters, and it goes very far, giving you the opportunity to see how the sign evolved to get to what it is today.

http://www.chineseetymology.org/



THE CHINESE YOUTUBE: TUDOU
(I have some loading problem here...)

http://www.tudou.com/