How to start typing/writing Nepali? नेपालीमा कसरी लेख्न / टाईप गर्न सिक्न?

I started writing my blog in Nepali in 2011. Here is the steps I took in learning how to type and write in Nepali kha-ra-ra-ra खरररररर 🙂

  1. First I installed Unicode Nepali in my computer. (Instructions on how to install in your phone/computer is towards the end of the article).
  2. The strategy I used was to set the desktop background of my computer to an image of “Nepali keyboard layout”. (Right-click desktop and change desktop picture. In windows if you press “start + D” you can switch between desktop and your writing window). You can right click on the image below and just download it).
    keyboardlayout-romanized
  3. Then I started translating my most popular articles into Nepali. Translating your own english writings, however few you have, is a great way to start, since only you know the real emotional tone, depth and style in your writings.
  4. Translate fast and rough at first. Then leave it for a few days. Then go back again to recheck what you have translated. Improve it. Repeat this 2 or 3 times. The finished piece will be a lot polished. You will smile at the progress made!
  5. Publish it on your website/blog/facebook now. Promote it by sharing it in social networking sites. I use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. People deserve to read it.
  6. Don’t forgot to post links between the English version and Nepali version of your article. Sometimes if English becomes hard to comprehend, they can quickly switch to reading it in Nepali.
  7. Every few months go back to original article, re-edit again and re-share it again. With fresh eyes the article will only improve in quality.
  8. If you know a friend who is good in Nepali, please give the article to them for proof-reading. They can see what you can’t see.  ( I use Google docs/drive for document collaboration which comes free with any Gmail account)
  9. Important note:  Do start posting very short status updates on social media in Nepali. This way the slow pace of your nepali typing will not frustrate you to  abandon your noble quest to write/type in Nepali. Patience rocks! ).
  10. One thing i am hoping to do in future, is to “record audio posts: i.e reading my own posts in my voice and recording it. You should try it. Use your own mobile phones to record your voice and then post it in websites like soundcloud.com. Time to be a “podcaster” too.
  11. Download “google translate” app into your mobile. Its the best tool to use when you are finding it hard to find translations for a particular nepali or english word.

How to install Nepali alphabets in your computer / iPhone / iPad :

For iPhone /iPad users ( I don’t know how to in Android) :

1) Just press on “Settings” >> “Keyboard” >> “Keyboards”>> “Add new keyboard” >> “Hindi” . (unfortunately they may not have come out with “nepali” at the time of writing but makes no real difference functionally)
You are done. ( Just go to any application where you can type and press small “globe” icon besides space bar to switch to “nepali alphabets” 🙂

2) If you use Gmail, here is how you can enable typing in Nepali:
3) If you use Google Chrome as a browser, simply add this extension:

4) If you want Google to help you easily type in Nepali by typing in English without memorizing where each key is ( for example, typing ‘ke’ results in  के )http://www.google.com/inputtools/cloud/try/

5) Download “google translate” app into your mobile. Its the best tool to use when you are finding it hard to find translations for a particular nepali or english word.

*** If you are going to write a lot in Nepali, I recommend you to install Unicode in Nepali. Here’s how to install Nepali (Devanagari) for mac users. (नेपालीमा कसरी हाल्ने म्याकमा सफ्टवेएर) Here’s how to install Nepali in Windows xp, 7 and beyond.(नेपालीमा कसरी हाल्ने विन्डोज सफ्टवेएर)

for people who can’t figure out how to write ज्ञ and other hard words

romanized unicode nepali
here is an image from suvash thapaliya

Also if you want one of the best professional English to Nepali to English translation and interpretation or other language facilitation help, do check out Nepalinterpreters.com (link) which I am also part of.

Enjoy !

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