First of all, to type Japanese text, you should follow the steps in the "FAQ: How do I type in Japanese?"
http://www.japanesepod101.com/forum/vie ... php?t=5007
The steps are pretty straightforward.
Once you have it installed, it's easy to type Japanese text.
Switch to the Japanese language from your language bar (I have mine hovering at the top of the screen.) You can use the keyboard shortcut:
Alt + Shift to toggle between languages.
Once you have the Japanese language selected, you want to select the desired input mode.
Press
Ctrl + CapsLock to switch to
Hiragana input mode
Press
Alt + CapsLock to switch to
Katakana input mode
You are still typing romaji, but the IME will convert your text to HIragana/Katakana depending on your input mode.
To type the word zekk[oo]ch[oo], simply type:
zekkouchou which will convert it to ぜっこうちょう.
Notice that the double/stopped consonant was converted to ぜっこ. The little tsu (っ) actually applies to the previous character.
The long vowel sound is usually represented by the u (う) character, like ちょう. Sometimes you double the vowel like ああ、いい、うう、ええ、おお。It depends on the word you're writing.
Anyway, when you type your romaji, it will convert to Hiragana as you type. When you complete your word, either press
Enter to keep the Hiragana, or press
Spacebar to have it converted to Kanji which would look like this: 絶好調. Then press
Enter to accept the Kanji.
Just practice entering Japanese by typing in the dialog or vocabulary from each lesson and you''ll get the hang of it in no time.
Remember these keyboard shortcuts:
Alt + Shift: Toggle between English and Japanese
Ctrl + CapsLock: Switch to
Hiragana input mode
Alt + CapsLock: Switch to
Katakana input mode
Spacebar: Convert to Kanji, press again to give additional options.
Enter: Accept entered characters
Good luck!
キリマン
