Keyboard layouts in German. German letters with dots on top - umlauts and their specifics

In the German alphabet there is 26 latin letters, three characters "a-umlaut", "o-umlaut", "u-umlaut", which are indicated using a diacritical mark in the form of two dots above the letter - spelling: ä, ö, ü, and ligature - ß.

Umlaut says that the sound, supplemented by two dots above the letter, is phonetically different from the sound that is indicated by this very letter without an umlaut, and is read, respectively, in a different way:

ä - reads like "e",

ö - similar to the Russian "ё", pronounced together with "o",

ü - like "yu" in a word, for example, "Lucy".

The sign ß, called escet, stands for a long "s". At the same time, he also indicates that the previous vowel has an elongated sound, and the combination of two letters s ("ss") in a row shortens the sound of the vowel in front of them.

Set of German characters ä, ö, ü and ß on a keyboard without a German layout

Due to the fact that Esset and letters with umlauts have a sound different from the double "s" and letters without dots above them, the umlaut cannot be omitted in order to prevent ambiguity.

When typing German text on the keyboard if the German keyboard layout is not installed, the question arises of the designation of special German characters. There are several ways to fix this problem.

We print in German or Common ways to replace German characters

A sign with an umlaut can be replaced when writing with the following letter combination: a letter without an umlaut + the letter "e":

Ä - ae,

Ö - oe,

Ü-ue.

In the case of characters with an umlaut, there are designations for lowercase and uppercase letters.

Replacement "escet"

You can use ss instead of ß.

Given that the ß ligature has only a lowercase style, then if necessary, write a word with ß in capital letters, you can use the same method - replace the escet with the letter combination SS. With such a replacement of escet, you need to be careful, since there are words in which replacing the ligature ß with a double s can lead to the formation of three consecutive consonants s, which is not very correct, although it is currently acceptable.

In such cases

• better to replace ß with sz (Maszstab)
• or separate the word with a hyphen between the double ss, which replaces the ß sign, and the letter s following in the word (Mass-stab).

Using German characters in "Microsoft Word"

• Find in the "Microsoft Word" menu in the "Insert" tab, select the "Symbols" section - the corresponding window will open in which you need to find the corresponding symbol and then click the "Insert" button.
• You can use the keyboard shortcut listed at the bottom of this window. For example, the following keyboard shortcuts correspond to certain German characters:

Ctrl+Shift+W, U - Ü,

Ctrl+Shift+W, A - Ä,

Ctrl+Shift+W, O - Ö,

ctrl+? S-ß.

Copy Method

The easiest way is to find the already typed German text, which is in the computer's memory or on the Internet, and copy all the necessary for printing characters ä, ö, ü, ß to the buffer. Subsequently, insert these characters as needed, referring to the clipboard.

This method, like the previous one, is good if you type German texts rarely, from time to time. If you need to constantly use the German layout, then the above methods are not very convenient. So, it is necessary to write the necessary characters to the clipboard every time after turning on "Microsoft Word", since after turning off the computer, the clipboard is reset to zero, the information in the buffer is not saved.

Setting the German keyboard layout

If, nevertheless, you often have to type texts in German, for example, to correspond with partners from Germany, Austria, etc. or communicate on social networks with German-speaking interlocutors, then The best way is still to set the German keyboard layout.

To install such a layout, you can use the Start menu, following the algorithm:

Start - Settings - Control Panel - Regional and Language Options - Languages ​​- Installed Services - Add - German (Germany).

At the same time, it is also desirable to remember where the signs with umlauts and escet are located on the keyboard. So, in the German layout, the ß ligature is located to the right of zero on the alphanumeric block, and the signs ä, ö, ü are also located on the right side of the keyboard on the same keys with the Russian letters e, zh, x, respectively.

In addition, Y is used quite rarely in German, so this letter on the keyboard is in a different place compared to the standard Latin layout. In the German keyboard layout, the positions of the letters Z and Y are reversed.

Writing characters ä, ö, ü, ß through the English layout

It is possible to set distinctive German characters using the English layout (US - International). In this case, the signs ä, ö, ü, and ß correspond to combinations of the Alt key with the letters q, p, y, s, respectively, that is

Ä - Alt + q,

Ö - Alt + p,

Ü - Alt + y,

ß - Alt + s.

In any case, the choice of how to type special German characters is up to the user. :))

Also, the methods are also described in this video on my LifeIstGut channel on Youtube!))

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If you are actively learning German, then you need to be able to type in German. “Well, what's the problem? Is it that difficult? - you probably thought. Just take a look at your keyboard and try to find umlauts on it. Experiment and print Hühnervögel, Frühstück, Überläufer, Frühblüher, Kältemessgerät, Schönheitspflästerchen, Müllbehälter, Längsöffnung, Schöpfgefäß, Schürzenjager, Märchenerzähler, Maßstab. If you are an average resident of Russia or another Russian-speaking region, then in 99.9% of cases you will not find them there. So how do you type German words in such a situation? This article will be devoted to this.

How is the German keyboard different?

First, unlike the standard Latin alphabet, German has so-called special characters. The most recognizable of them are umlauts(umlauts) or "mutations". Umlauts are vowels with two dots at the top. There are only three of them in German: Ä ä, Ö ö, Ü ü . In addition to umlauts, there is another special character - ß . it escet(German Eszett), also known as acute S (scharfes S).

Secondly, the characters on the German keyboard are not in the order in which you are used to.

If you compare the keyboard in the picture with yours, you will see that the keys Z and Y switched places. Many additional characters, for example, < , > , / etc. located not on the right, but on top under the keys F1 - F9 because umlauts took their place.

Simply put, if you have never seen a German keyboard, then you will need some time to get used to it.

How to type german characters on russian keyboard

If you urgently need to write something in German, but there is no German keyboard at hand, then there is no need to despair. There are several ways to solve this problem.

Replace the missing character with a combination of letters.

Most of the special characters in the German language can be replaced with a combination of regular characters. This is convenient because you can type German words without having a German keyboard. To type an umlaut, you just need to write the main vowel from which it is formed and add a letter after it e, for example:

• Ä–AE
• Ö - OU
• Ü – UE

As you may have noticed, there is no special combination for ß. Sometimes it is replaced with doubles (ss), but this does not always follow the German spelling rules. So what to do? Method #2 comes to the rescue.

Copy the desired character from the Internet.

You don't have to go far. Just highlight the desired character ( Ä ä, Ö ö, Ü ü, ß), and paste it into your text. The disadvantage of this method is that you need to constantly keep the site with the right symbols at hand. Yes, and typing quickly will not work, because every half a word you will have to interrupt and copy another umlaut or escet again.

Install the German language on your computer.

Everything is very simple here. You need to go to the language settings of your operating system and download the German language. It will take only a few minutes, after which you can turn on the German layout with the usual combination alt + Shift or Win+ space(Windows 10).

Attentive readers will immediately remember that the arrangement of characters on the German keyboard is different from what we are used to. If you choose this method, then you will have to learn the location of all the characters on the keyboard by heart!

Buy a rubber overlay for the keyboard.

If you can’t remember the location of the necessary characters (yes, it’s not easy), then specially for you they came up with silicone overlays on the keyboard, which will essentially replace your main layout. They are very cheap (about 200 rubles) and invisible in use. This is perhaps the most efficient way to type in German if you have to deal with German every day.

Practice typing in German in live communication with Christoph

Christoph Deininger is a German-speaking teacher in our online Deutschklasse. He has his own profile on Facebook, where he regularly communicates with everyone. If you want to learn how to type quickly in the German layout, just add Christoph as a friend on facebook and after a month of active communication you will feel like a fish in water.

Even if you still speak German poorly, it's okay, because Christoph knows Russian very well. Add Christoph as a friend and chat in German in your free time.

German letters with dots on top are of great importance for the whole language. A large number of words have them in their composition, and therefore you need to know how and where to use them.

What is an umlaut

Translated from German, the word "umlaut" means "permutation". In principle, this definition can convey the meaning of the term. Umlaut is a sign indicating a phonetic change in articulation, as well as in the timbre of vowels. These include the letters “a”, “o”, and “u”. In writing, they look like this: ä, ö, ü. If we translate German letters with dots on top in transcription, we get the following combinations: ä = ae; ö = oe; ü = ue. Depending on which word a particular letter is used in, the pronunciation will also differ. However, not much. Mostly “ä” is pronounced close to “e”, “ö” - like “ё”, and “ü” - like “yu”.

Typing on the keyboard

Being engaged in the study of the German language and corresponding with someone from the native inhabitants of Germany, there is a need to type the notorious umlauts on the keyboard. And the letter “escet” (looks like the usual “beta” - ß) as well. Where can I find German letters with dots on top of the keyboard? This question worries many, but here it is necessary not only to change the settings and layout parameters. You will also need to purchase an appropriate keyboard - for convenience. If this is not possible, then you can simply replace the letters with the combinations that were mentioned earlier - ue, ae, oe. And "escet" usually means the same as double "s". Such a spelling will not be considered a mistake, any German will be able to understand such a word (for example, football: “Fußball” = “Fussball”).

Set Tricks

However, if such a spelling “cuts the eyes” of a person, or he simply loves literacy and does not want to appear in front of the Germans as a dunno, then there is a little secret that can be used when typing a message or text. You can simply enter in the search bar of any browser a query called “German alphabet” and click on search. After that, what you need will appear to your eyes. That is, the alphabet. You need to open it and copy the German letters with dots on top. In order not to do this every time, you can save them either in a separate file or as a bookmark. But it is better, of course, to install the German layout. This is not so difficult to do, you just need to go to the control panel through the “Start”, then find the “language and regional standards” item and add the required language to the settings through the installed services. Usually, on the Russian keyboard, the letter “Ä” stands in place of “E”, “Ö” - in the same place as “Ж”, “Ü” - “X”, and “beta” (escet) is transferred to the “dash” key. Over time, you can get used to this layout, especially if you often use umlauts.

Meaning

And, finally, about the role played by German letters with dots on top. Uppercase and lowercase umlauts are very important. The meaning of the word depends on whether a letter with or without a dot is placed in the word. A parallel can be drawn between German umlauts and Russian stress. So, for example, only one intonation turns us into an antique castle. And in German, two dots can turn “already” into “beautiful.” We are talking about the word “sch(o/ö)n”. “Schon” is translated as “already” (“already working” - “arbeite schon”), and “schön” - as “beautiful” (“Dubist sehr schön” - “you are very beautiful”). It is also important not only to write such words correctly, but also to pronounce them. For better assimilation of such specific material, it is recommended to listen to audio recordings if it is not possible to go to a German teacher. Of course, you can also read words from transcriptions, but often students begin to pronounce letters with umlauts too clearly. That is, these are pronounced “yo”, “yu” and a characteristic “e”. It should not be so, such sounds are pronounced delicately and softly. Today there are a huge number of video and audio lessons. After several training sessions on pronunciation, the result will already be heard.

If you need to type something in your native language, and your computer or laptop has an English layout, you need a virtual German keyboard on your computer screen. It is very easy and convenient to use it. If you don't like something, something doesn't work or doesn't work correctly, please let us know. For us it is very important. On the Loderi.com website, using our virtual keyboard, you can absolutely free and online:

Typing on the virtual keyboard is easy and free

We have been testing the site interface and keyboard layouts for a long time for your convenience. And now we are confident in your comfort when typing on our keyboard online on the screen of your monitor. Here online you can use the standard keyboard (qwerty), phonetic keyboard and others. German alphabet keyboard will be added soon. It is very easy to type letters, translate them, print and save, stay in touch with friends using Facebook and Twitter. And of course - what is the Internet without Google search and YouTube videos? All these actions are done on our website in 1 click - try it! You can also save your printed documents (for this you need to log in with Facebook, Twitter or Google), so that you can continue them later.

And if you need to upload a photo from a computer or phone and get a link - use IMGisto.

German keyboard online on your site - how to get and use

You can also install on your website our link, button, or the entire online virtual German keyboard - for this you need to copy and paste the code from here to your website or blog. We're also open to suggestions for features you need - just drop us a line and describe what's missing (the more details the better) - we'll do what you need!

German keyboard and English translation online

In order to translate the text typed on the keyboard online, just click the "Translate" button and the world's most popular online translator from Google will open in a new window. The default translation is English, but you can choose any other of your choice.

If you need to type something in your native language, and your computer or laptop has an English layout, you need a virtual German keyboard on your computer screen. It is very easy and convenient to use it. If you don't like something, something doesn't work or doesn't work correctly, please let us know. For us it is very important. On the Loderi.com website, using our virtual keyboard, you can absolutely free and online:

Typing on the virtual keyboard is easy and free

We have been testing the site interface and keyboard layouts for a long time for your convenience. And now we are confident in your comfort when typing on our keyboard online on the screen of your monitor. Here online you can use the standard keyboard (qwerty), phonetic keyboard and others. German alphabet keyboard will be added soon. It is very easy to type letters, translate them, print and save, stay in touch with friends using Facebook and Twitter. And of course - what is the Internet without Google search and YouTube videos? All these actions are done on our website in 1 click - try it! You can also save your printed documents (for this you need to log in with Facebook, Twitter or Google), so that you can continue them later.

German keyboard online on your site - how to get and use

You can also install on your website our link, button, or the entire online virtual German keyboard - for this you need to copy and paste the code from here to your website or blog. We are also open to suggestions for features you need - just write to us and describe what is missing (the more details the better) - we will do what you need!

German keyboard and English translation online

In order to translate the text typed on the keyboard online, just click the "Translate" button and the world's most popular online translator from Google will open in a new window. The default translation is English, but you can choose any other of your choice.

In the German alphabet there is 26 latin letters, three characters "a-umlaut", "o-umlaut", "u-umlaut", which are indicated using a diacritical mark in the form of two dots above the letter - spelling: ä, ö, ü, and ligature - ß.

Umlaut says that the sound, supplemented by two dots above the letter, is phonetically different from the sound that is indicated by this very letter without an umlaut, and is read, respectively, in a different way:

ä - reads like "e",

ö - similar to the Russian "ё", pronounced together with "o",

ü - like "yu" in a word, for example, "Lucy".

The sign ß, called escet, stands for a long "s". At the same time, he also indicates that the previous vowel has an elongated sound, and the combination of two letters s ("ss") in a row shortens the sound of the vowel in front of them.

Set of German characters ä, ö, ü and ß on a keyboard without a German layout

Due to the fact that Esset and letters with umlauts have a sound different from the double "s" and letters without dots above them, the umlaut cannot be omitted in order to prevent ambiguity.

When typing German text on the keyboard if the German keyboard layout is not installed, the question arises of the designation of special German characters. There are several ways to fix this problem.

We print in German or Common ways to replace German characters

A sign with an umlaut can be replaced when writing with the following letter combination: a letter without an umlaut + the letter "e":

Ä - ae,

Ö - oe,

Ü-ue.

In the case of characters with an umlaut, there are designations for lowercase and uppercase letters.

Replacement "escet"

You can use ss instead of ß.

Given that the ß ligature has only a lowercase style, then if necessary, write a word with ß in capital letters, you can use the same method - replace the escet with the letter combination SS. With such a replacement of escet, you need to be careful, since there are words in which replacing the ligature ß with a double s can lead to the formation of three consecutive consonants s, which is not very correct, although it is currently acceptable.

In such cases

• better to replace ß with sz (Maszstab)
• or separate the word with a hyphen between the double ss, which replaces the ß sign, and the letter s following in the word (Mass-stab).

Using German characters in "Microsoft Word"

• Find in the "Microsoft Word" menu in the "Insert" tab, select the "Symbols" section - the corresponding window will open in which you need to find the corresponding symbol and then click the "Insert" button.
• You can use the keyboard shortcut listed at the bottom of this window. For example, the following keyboard shortcuts correspond to certain German characters:

Ctrl+Shift+W, U - Ü,

Ctrl+Shift+W, A - Ä,

Ctrl+Shift+W, O - Ö,

ctrl+? S-ß.

Copy method

The easiest way is to find the already typed German text, which is in the computer's memory or on the Internet, and copy all the necessary for printing characters ä, ö, ü, ß to the buffer. Subsequently, insert these characters as needed, referring to the clipboard.

This method, like the previous one, is good if you type German texts rarely, from time to time. If you need to constantly use the German layout, then the above methods are not very convenient. So, it is necessary to write the necessary characters to the clipboard every time after turning on "Microsoft Word", since after turning off the computer, the clipboard is reset to zero, the information in the buffer is not saved.

Setting the German keyboard layout

If, nevertheless, you often have to type texts in German, for example, to correspond with partners from Germany, Austria, etc. or communicate on social networks with German-speaking interlocutors, then The best way is still to set the German keyboard layout.

To install such a layout, you can use the Start menu, following the algorithm:

Start - Settings - Control Panel - Regional and Language Options - Languages ​​- Installed Services - Add - German (Germany).

At the same time, it is also desirable to remember where the signs with umlauts and escet are located on the keyboard. So, in the German layout, the ß ligature is located to the right of zero on the alphanumeric block, and the signs ä, ö, ü are also located on the right side of the keyboard on the same keys with the Russian letters e, zh, x, respectively.

In addition, Y is used quite rarely in German, so this letter on the keyboard is in a different place compared to the standard Latin layout. In the German keyboard layout, the positions of the letters Z and Y are reversed.