How to Type Chinese with Pinyin

Pinyin is the spelling; Hanzi is the output

A Pinyin input method turns Latin-letter syllables into Chinese character candidates. For example, type nihao, choose 你好 from the candidate list and commit it. Typing nihao as plain English text will not match a Chinese passage. TypeMosaic scores committed Hanzi, not the number of Latin keys you press.

Enable a Chinese input source

On a Mac, open System Settings, find Keyboard and add a Chinese Pinyin input source under Text Input. On Windows, open Settings, find Time & language, add Chinese and enable Microsoft Pinyin in the language's keyboard options. Menu labels vary by operating-system version; the official links below cover current settings.

Choose Simplified or Traditional output to match your practice passage. The input-method label inside TypeMosaic only labels a result; it cannot change the operating system's input source.

Try one short sentence

1. Open the untimed warmup. Type nihao, choose 你好 and commit the candidate using your input method's confirmation key.
2. Enter a Chinese full stop: 。. A Latin period (.) will not match it. If your input method uses English punctuation, switch its punctuation mode or choose the exact symbol.
3. Repeat with wo shi xuesheng and select 我是学生 (or 我是學生 for Traditional). Read candidates carefully; the first suggestion is not always the intended word.
4. Open Pinyin practice, keep pronunciation hints on, and try a 30-second test. Hints display dictionary readings, not a requirement to type tone marks into the input method.

Why your input may stop advancing

Check the Chinese script, punctuation width and candidate choice. The first incorrect character blocks progress. Correct it directly without deleting accepted characters. If you committed a whole phrase containing a mistake, the remaining characters in that batch are discarded; start again from the blinking cursor.

Practice for consistency

Use short sentences first, then hide the hints when you can recall the spelling. Compare the same passage with the same hint setting. A five-minute test can reveal consistency over a longer session, but it is not a certification or an assessment of Chinese language proficiency.

Official keyboard help

Apple: write in another language on Mac

Microsoft Windows help: search for keyboard and language settings