Typing Spanish
For those who ask how to type the ÿ, the accents and other Spanish symbols like ¿ or ¡, here is the most efficient method in Windows XP (although in Vista is similar):
Go to Control Panel
Click on Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options.
Then click on Regional and Language Options
Select the Languages tab.
Click on Details.
Click on Add, choose Spanish, and then select any variant.
The International Sort is configured like this:
The one used in Mexico like this:
112 Answers
OK lazarus, I´m borrowing someones laptop so I´m trying it now.
éáíóú¡¿ ç I think I may have to put little stickers on some of the keys though ...
¡Muchas gracias, Lazarus1907! I was having trouble with this one. I had to skip the writing section until now. I aso cannot seem to do the speaking part, because my microphone isn't working with the program. Any help for this? Another good thing to have in a FAQs section. I'm such a newbie that I can't really write in Spanish yet.
Otra vez, muchas gracias. Phyllis
Not really, Kimberley. I tried that and got all kinds of weird windows popping up all over, windows disappearing, dictionaries changing, etc. The apple button is more like the CTRL button on a PC, I think.
Kimberley said:
Wouldn't Mac users use the apple button instead of the alt key for pc users?
>
That certainly works! Thanks! Still a pain to have to go about clicking all over the place when all the other accents are so easy on Macs. Oh well, if anyone else knows the secret, let me know. Until then, I'll be clicking.
Natasha said:
My brother-in-law has a Mac and I asked him how to do it. He sent me this:
finder > edit > special characters
I don't have a Mac to see what he means, but maybe it will help.
Wouldn't Mac users use the apple button instead of the alt key for pc users?
Natasha said:
Paralee said:
:
Thanks, Natasha, but since Mac don't have ALT buttons, those little keystrokes that got me through college with my old PC no longer apply. I guess I'm stuck with the copy/paste method for now.
My brother-in-law has a Mac and I asked him how to do it. He sent me this:
finder > edit > special characters
I don't have a Mac to see what he means, but maybe it will help.
>
lazarus1907 said:
Jhonny Urrego said:
hold Ctrl and type 164 ,release Ctrl then it will show the "ñ
And what about á é í ó ú Á ÿ Í ÿ ÿ ÿ ¿ ¡ ü ü ª? Do you memorize them all? The keyboard is much faster and convenient.
Actually, I sometimes have to type in French so I printed out the ASCII table which can be found at www.asciitable.com It provides you with all the alternate symbols and I keep it taped to the bottom of my monitor for easy reference. I just have to hold the alt key and type the corresponding number for the symbol I want.
Paralee said:
:
Thanks, Natasha, but since Mac don't have ALT buttons, those little keystrokes that got me through college with my old PC no longer apply. I guess I'm stuck with the copy/paste method for now.
My brother-in-law has a Mac and I asked him how to do it. He sent me this:
finder > edit > special characters
I don't have a Mac to see what he means, but maybe it will help.
Natasha said:
Paralee, this isn't a very good suggestion, but it's better than nothing: you can copy-and-paste from a site like the following:
http://www.cdrummond.qc.ca/cegep/informat/Professeurs/Alain/files/a...
Of course, if you can figure out what the right code is, you should be able to type ALT and the code as long as your keyboard has a numeric keypad. For example, ALT-171 gives me ½. (If I find the codes for the ones you asked about, I'll post them.)
A while back, Zoltán posted the most commonly used ALT-keys for typing in Spanish (etc.), so I'm copying-and-pasting them here for general reference.
Alt+129 ü
Alt+130 é
Alt +144 ÿ
Alt+160 á
Alt+161 í
Alt+162 ó
Alt+163 ú
Alt+164 ñ
Alt+165 ÿ
Alt+168 ¿
Alt+173 ¡
Alt+64 @
Alt+126 ~
Alt+246 ÷
Alt+171 ½
Alt+172 ¼
Alt+156 £
Alt+193 Á
Alt+205 Í
Alt+211 ÿ
Alt+218 ÿ
Alt+220 ÿ
Thanks, Natasha, but since Mac don't have ALT buttons, those little keystrokes that got me through college with my old PC no longer apply. I guess I'm stuck with the copy/paste method for now.
Quentin said:
Paralee, Sorry the reply link for your comment isn't working.
Did you find the answer you needed for makeing the ª or º symbols on a Mac (of which I am totally ignorant)?
Here´s a link that you might find informative. I saw references to FontBook, the Option Key, and System Preferences in other links so I assume you can change keyboards, use a code, etc. as you can on a PC. I saw the question asked about whether a Mac has a character map function like a PC does, but the question was never directly answered. The person went on to discuss how to change keyboards, etc.
http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/international/accents/codemac.html
Yes, Quentin, I went there in my search. I'm looking for the ª and the º for a Mac. (I just copied those from this thread, and I hope I don't have to do that every time). But thanks for the link anyway. They have just about everything except those two superscripts.
Rebecca said:
Hi does anyone know how one can do this with windows vista? I can make the áéíóúÁÿÍÿÿ fine, as there are key on my keyboard for them, but i'm havig problems with making the others the most annoying is ñ, I have tried typing in ctrl-alt 164, but it comes up with a euros sign, any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks
Hi Rebecca,
I don't have Windows Vista, but it looked like the following link might be useful:
http://babelhut.com/languages/spanish/setting-up-a-spanish-keyboard-in-windows-vista/
On my computer, you have to hold down the ALT key while typing 164. Does that help?
Good luck!
Hi does anyone know how one can do this with windows vista? I can make the áéíóúÁÿÍÿÿ fine, as there are key on my keyboard for them, but i'm havig problems with making the others the most annoying is ñ, I have tried typing in ctrl-alt 164, but it comes up with a euros sign, any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks 
Quentin said:
I can't uderstand why my links won't work in this message?
Samdie,
Thanks. I knew it wouldn't work, but I tried it just to see and, of course, Word in no way alters your keyboard. It only alters what IT writes when a key is pressed. What was making me have doubts was that I use my Spanish international keyboard within Word. I was wondering which overrode which or do they not conflict? Testing the Spanish Internationa keyboard within Word I saw that can make the é using "apostrophe then e " (spanish keyboard) or I can use "CTRL+apostrophe then e" which is the Word shortcut combination. IApparently they do not conflict.
Since you ask... There's a chunk of software (usually called a "keyboard handler") that's rather intimately tied in with the operating system (any OS [not just Windows] that was written in the last 40 years). Its function is to interpret the signals (called "scan codes") sent by your _physical_ keyboard. What Windows (and some other OS's do, now days) is allow another chunk of software (which gets installed/activated when you fool with the internationalization stuff) to function between the keyboard handler and the operating system (which is still at a pretty "low level"). The result is that with the "Spanish keyboard" installed _any_ program you run will see the keystrokes interpreted as having come from a "Spanish keyboard". Thus it works in Word, word pad, notepad, etc. (small aside: some programs may elect [on their _own_] to examine all input from the keyboard and reject things that are not "simple ASCII" [or whatever criteria they care to impose]).
So when you run Word with the Spanish keyboard activated, Word sees as its "raw" input letters with accents/tildes (the same way your browser does). But, at the same time, Word is supplying its _own_ way of dealing with "funny alphabets" (but this is applied to Word's idea or your "input", i.e. after the internationalization) . The net result is that, within Word, you have two ways of "inputting" the same character. But in other less "feature rich"/bloated programs you don't have the luxury of two choices. You only have the alternate keyboard (strictly speaking, that's not true. You _always_ have the option of using the ALT+numeric code method [which is supported directly by the keyboard handler]).
Hope this answers your question and was not overly "techie".
I can't uderstand why my links won't work in this message?
Samdie,
Thanks. I knew it wouldn't work, but I tried it just to see and, of course, Word in no way alters your keyboard. It only alters what IT writes when a key is pressed. What was making me have doubts was that I use my Spanish international keyboard within Word. I was wondering which overrode which or do they not conflict? Testing the Spanish Internationa keyboard within Word I saw that can make the é using "apostrophe then e " (spanish keyboard) or I can use "CTRL+apostrophe then e" which is the Word shortcut combination. IApparently they do not conflict.
Quentin said:
Mark Baker, Sorry if my remarks sounded offensive. I was criticizing the method, not you.
Are you implying that if I open Word and customize the Control and/or Alt keys to assign them a symbol that I can use that key combination outside of Word to create that symbol? Even if I close the Word prrogram? In other words that I can reassign permanent keyboard changes from within Word. Doesn't sound plausible. I'll have to check it out.
The point that I was trying to make that is creating characters or reassigning keys from within Word does nothing to help you use those symbols or key assignment outside of Word. Maybe I was entirely incorrect. I'll try it.
Don't bother. What you do in Word stays in Word. This approach is for people who (at least while posting here) don't mind the cut/paste process. The advantage of the approach applies principally to those people who have already learned how to do it in Word and don't want to be bothered (don't see any advantage in) learning _another_ way.
Of course, if you don't _have _ Word or don't _like_ Word or don't like the extra steps of cut/paste then the alternate keyboard method is for most people the easiest way to go.
Mark Baker,
Sorry if my remarks sounded offensive. I was criticizing the method, not you.
Are you implying that if I open Word and customize the Control and/or Alt keys to assign them a symbol that I can use that key combination outside of Word to create that symbol? Even if I close the Word prrogram? In other words that I can reassign permanent keyboard changes from within Word. Doesn't sound plausible. I'll have to check it out.
The point that I was trying to make that is creating characters or reassigning keys from within Word does nothing to help you use those symbols or key assignment outside of Word. Maybe I was entirely incorrect. I'll try it.
