You asked, so we provided—easy-to-follow instructions on how to set up your electronic devices to write in Hindi! We’ll also give you a few excellent tips on how to use this keyboard, as well as some online and app alternatives if you prefer not to set up a Hindi keyboard.
Table of Contents- Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Hindi
- Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Hindi
- How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer
- How to Change the Language Settings to Hindi on Your Computer
- Activating the Hindi Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet
- Hindi Keyboard Typing Tips
- How to Practice Typing Hindi
1. Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Hindi
Learning a new language is made so much easier when you’re able to read and write/type it. This way, you will:
- Get the most out of any dictionary and Hindi language apps on your devices
- Expand your ability to find Hindi websites and use the various search engines
- Be able to communicate much better online with your Hindi teachers and friends, and look super cool in the process!
2. Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Hindi
It takes only a few steps to set up any of your devices to read and type in Hindi. It’s super-easy on your mobile phone and tablet, and a simple process on your computer.
On your computer, you’ll first activate the onscreen keyboard to work with. You’ll only be using your mouse or touchpad/pointer for this keyboard. Then, you’ll need to change the language setting to Hindi, so all text will appear in Hindi. You could also opt to use online keyboards instead. Read on for the links!
On your mobile devices, it’s even easier—you only have to change the keyboard. We also provide a few alternatives in the form of online keyboards and downloadable apps.
3. How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer
1- Mac
1. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard.
2. Check the option “Show Keyboard & Character Viewers in Menu Bar.”
3. You’ll see a new icon on the right side of the main bar; click on it and select “Show Keyboard Viewer.”
2- Windows
1. Go to Start > Settings > Easy Access > Keyboard.
2. Turn on the option for “Onscreen Keyboard.”
3- Online Keyboards
If you don’t want to activate your computer’s onscreen keyboard, you also have the option to use online keyboards. Here are some good options:
4- Add-ons of Extensions for Browsers
Instead of an online keyboard, you could also choose to download a Google extension to your browser for a language input tool. The Google Input Tools extension allows users to use input tools in Chrome web pages, for example.
4. How to Change the Language Settings to Hindi on Your Computer
Now that you’re all set to work with an onscreen keyboard on your computer, it’s time to download the Hindi language pack for your operating system of choice:
- Windows 8 (and higher)
- Windows 7
- Mac (OS X and higher)
1- Windows 8 (and higher)
- Go to “Settings” > “Change PC Settings” > “Time & Language” > “Region & Language.”
- Click on “Add a Language” and select “Greek.” This will add it to your list of languages. It will appear as हिंदी with the note “language pack available.”
- Click on “हिंदी” > “Options” > “Download.” It’ll take a few minutes to download and install the language pack.
- As a keyboard layout, you’ll only need the one marked as “Hindi – हिंदी.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts.
2- Windows 7
1. Go to Start > Control Panel > Clock, Language, and Region.
2. On the “Region and Language” option, click on “Change Keyboards or Other Input Methods.”
3. On the “Keyboards and Languages” tab, click on “Change Keyboards” > “Add” > “Hindi.”
4. Expand the option of “Hindi” and then expand the option “Keyboard.” Select the keyboard layout marked as “Hindi.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts. Click “OK” and then “Apply.”
3- Mac (OS X and higher)
If you can’t see the language listed, please make sure to select the right option from System Preferences > Language and Region
1. From the Apple Menu (top left corner of the screen) go to System Preferences > Keyboard.
2. Click the Input Sources tab and a list of available keyboards and input methods will appear.
3. Click on the plus button, select “Hindi,” and add the “Hindi – Transliteration” keyboard.
5. Activating the Hindi Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet
Texting and searching in Hindi will greatly help you master the language! Adding a Hindi keyboard on your mobile phone and/or tablet is super-easy.
You could also opt to download an app instead of adding a keyboard. Read on for our suggestions.
Below are the instructions for both iOS and Android mobile phones and tablets.
1- iOS
1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.
2. Tap “Keyboards” and then “Add New Keyboard.”
3. Select “Hindi” from the list.
4. When typing, you can switch between languages by tapping and holding on the icon to reveal the keyboard language menu.
2- Android
1. Go to Settings > General Management > Language and Input > On-screen Keyboard (or “Virtual Keyboard” on some devices) > Samsung Keyboard.
2. Tap “Language and Types” or “ + Select Input Languages” depending on the device and then “MANAGE INPUT LANGUAGES” if available.
3. Select “Hindi” from the list.
4. When typing, you can switch between languages by swiping the space bar.
3- Applications for Mobile Phones
If you don’t want to add a keyboard on your mobile phone or tablet, these are a few good apps to consider:
6. Hindi Keyboard Typing Tips
Typing in Hindi can be very challenging at first! Therefore, we added here a few useful tips to make it easier to use your Hindi keyboard.
- For typing maatra, press the respective letter on your English keyboard. If you need the whole Hindi vowel instead, use the Shift key along with the respective English letter. For example, if you want to make the “aa ki maatra” (ा), press letter E. But if you want the letter “aa” (आ), press Shift key + letter E.
- When you’re typing in an Office document, and would like to correct an incorrect maatra, just go to the letter whose maatra you want to correct, and then type the correct maatra. The incorrect maatra will be automatically replaced with the correct one. You don’t have to delete and then type the correct maatra.
- If you’re typing on the Internet or in a Google Doc, keep in mind that Step 2 wouldn’t work. If you type the correct maatra without deleting the incorrect one, you’ll end up with both. For example, if you’re typing the word कुत्ता (kuTTaa) or “dog,” and you accidentally type the “badii uu kii maaTra” (ू), make sure to first delete it and then place the correct “chotii uu kii maaTraa” (ु). Otherwise, you’ll end up with maatras like this: कूुत्ता. For the same reason, make sure to check your typed text once again because it’s quite possible that you accidentally placed one maatra twice. Something like this: आाम. Notice that the “aa kii maaTraa” occurs twice here. So, check your maatras before finalizing your text!
- For typing out half-letters, that is, for example, the letter “N” in जन्म (jaNm) or the letter “k” in क्या (kyaa), use the letter D on your keyboard. Just type the letter you want, press D, and then type the next letter, and you’ll get the half-sound letter.
- For typing out certain conjuncts, use the number keys along with the Shift key. For example, if you want the conjuct “ज्ञ” (gya) used in the Hindi word for “knowledge” (ज्ञान or gyaaN), press Shift along with the number 5. You’ll get “ज्ञ.” Similarly, त्र (Tra) can be typed with the number 6, क्ष (ksa) can be typed with the number 7, and श्र can be typed with the number 8.
- For typing the “ri kii maaTraa,” like in the word कृपया (kripayaa) meaning please,” or ट्रेन (treN) meaning “train,” use Shift along with number 3 after typing the first letter. So, if you want to type कृ, type the letter क (ka) and then press Shift along with number 3. You’ll get कृ.
- For getting the half “ra,” when it’s placed as a maatra above the characters, like in भर्ती (bharTii), use the letter D on your keyboard. For example, for भर्ती here is the key sequence: Shift + y (भ), J (र), D, L (त), E ( ा), and you’ll get भर्ती.
7. How to Practice Typing Hindi
As you probably know by now, learning Hindi is all about practice, practice, and more practice! Strengthen your Hindi typing skills by writing comments on any of our lesson pages, and our teacher will answer. If you’re a HindiPod101 Premium PLUS member, you can directly text our teacher via the My Teacher app—use your Hindi keyboard to do this!
