Write in another language on your Mac with additional keyboard layouts, known as input sources. To use additional input sources, set up your Mac to write in another language, then switch to that language when you want to use it.
You can quickly switch languages using your keyboard or the Input menu, or remain in your primary language and use the accent menu to enter characters with accent marks when writing.
Set up your Mac to write in another language
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)Go to Text Input on the right, then click Edit.
Click the Add button
, then search for a language (such as Chinese, Simplified). Select one or more input sources for each language you want to use. Click Add.
To begin writing in another language, select the language you want to use in the Input menu in the menu bar.
You can click Show Keyboard Viewer in the Input menu to see the keyboard layout for the language that’s currently selected.
in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
, After you add an input source, the Input menu is automatically shown in the menu bar. The language of the input source is automatically added to your list of preferred languages in Language & Region settings and your list of Dictation languages (if available) in Keyboard settings. You can set your Mac to use that language in the user interface and use it to dictate messages and documents.
Switch between languages when writing
Switch between languages when writing by selecting the language you want to use in the Input menu. You can also set up your Mac to quickly switch between languages using your keyboard.
Use the Input menu: Click the Input menu in the menu bar, then choose an input source. If an input source is dimmed, the current app doesn’t support it.
You can also press Control-Space bar to select the last input source you used, or Control-Option-Space bar to select the next input source in the Input menu.
Use the Fn key or
key: You can set an option in Keyboard settings to change input sources by using the Fn key or key. Choose Apple menu Press the key to switch to the next input source and show all your input sources close to where you’re typing (displayed as letters or characters that represent each source). Continue pressing the key until the input source you want to switch to is selected.
Use the Caps Lock key: You can set an option in Input Sources settings to change between Latin and non-Latin input sources by using the Caps Lock key or a dedicated language switching key (for example, “中 / 英” on Chinese – Pinyin and Chinese – Zhuyin keyboards). Choose Apple menu> System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down). Go to Text Input on the right, click Edit, then turn on “Use the Caps Lock key to switch to and from [last used Latin input source].”
Press the key to switch between a non-Latin input source (such as Chinese or Korean) and a Latin input source (such as French or English).
Use the Touch Bar: If your Mac has a Touch Bar, and you customized the Control Strip by adding the Input Sources button
, the Handwriting button , or both, tap the button, then tap the input source you want to use. See Customize the Touch Bar.
key: You can set an option in Keyboard settings to change input sources by using the Fn key or 
, View the keyboard layout
Use the Keyboard Viewer to see the keyboard layout for the current input source. This is helpful if you choose an input source that doesn’t match your physical keyboard. In that case, the keys you see and press on the keyboard may be different from the characters that are displayed when you type.
You can also view the keyboard layout in Input Sources settings, and see how the layout changes when you press modifier keys like Option or Shift.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
Go to Text Input on the right, then click Edit.
Select an input source on the left. The keyboard layout is shown on the right. Press the Option, Shift, or Option and Shift keys together to show how the layout changes.
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