How to Use Unicode Pinyin Fonts

Tianwei Xie
Updated August 2002.

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Unicode Pinyin Fonts

Now it is possible to type Pinyin with tones in Word 97 or 2000 and  create a web page with Pinyin. The Microsoft Word 97 has a built-in unicode Pinyin font 'Lucida Sans Unicode'. The new Word 2000 has four Pinyin fonts: Arial, Courier New, Lucida Sans Unicode and Times New Roman. If you see the proper Pinyin fonts below, that means you already have these fonts.

Arial:

 ā á ǎ à ō ó ǒ ò ē é ě è ī í ǐ ì ū ú ǔ ù ǖ ǘ ǚ  ǜ  ü Ā Á Ǎ À Ō Ó Ǒ Ò Ē É Ě È

Courier New:

ā á ǎ à ō ó ǒ ò ē é ě è ī í ǐ ì ū ú ǔ ù ǖ ǘ ǚ  ǜ  ü Ā Á Ǎ À Ō Ó Ǒ Ò Ē É Ě È

Lucida Sans Unicode: 

ā á ǎ à ō ó ǒ ò ē é ě è ī í ǐ ì ū ú ǔ ù ǖ ǘ ǚ  ǜ  ü Ā Á Ǎ À Ō Ó Ǒ Ò Ē É Ě È

Times New Roman: 

ā á ǎ à ō ó ǒ ò ē é ě è ī í ǐ ì ū ú ǔ ù ǖ ǘ ǚ  ǜ  ü Ā Á Ǎ À Ō Ó Ǒ Ò Ē É Ě È

If your computer does not display the above Pinyin fonts, please click here to upgrade your fonts.

Typing Pinyin with Tone Markers

I. Using NJ Communicator

The NJ Communicator supports unicode Pinyin. Its Chinese input method (IME) has an option of "Dai4 diao4 Pinyin" that allows you to input Pinyin with tone markers.

Steps:

1. Start NJ Communicator 2.2 or higher version (2.23) (downloadable from: http://njstar.com/communicator/download.htm)
2. Activate Chinese input (either traditional or simplified) by clicking  the keyboard icon on the right upper corner and select Chinese input.http://www.csulb.edu/~txie/PINYIN/njinput.jpg

3. Clik the input bar http://www.csulb.edu/~txie/PINYIN/image002.gif  in the lower left corner and select Dai4 Diao4 Pinyin.http://www.csulb.edu/~txie/PINYIN/image006.jpg (See menu on the right.)

4. Open Word and type pinyin with numbers. 

Example:
type zhong1, you will immediate have zhōng. in your editing window.

Note: NJ Communicator works with Word 97, 2000 and Netscape (Composer) 4.06. When you use Netscape Composer to create web pages, set View Encoding Unicode (UTF-8).
 


 
 
 

 

You will see the following choices
http://www.csulb.edu/~txie/PINYIN/image004.jpg

II. Use Macro in Word

You can also create a Pinyin text in Word without using NJ Communicate, but you need to create a macro file in your Word 97 or 2000. After you have created a macro file, type the text in Pinyin with numbers. Run Macro and the Pinyin with numbers will be converted to Pinyin with tone markers..

Example:

Type 'Zhong1wen2 Pin1yin1 shu1ru4 fang1fa3. or Zho1ngwe2n Pi1nyi1n shu1ru4 fa1ngfa3' in Word 97 or 2000.
Highlight the string, or move the cursor to the beginning of the string.
Click Tool, Macro, Macros, select unicodepinyin and run, or press Alt+F8 and select unicodepinyin and run.
The macro file will conver it to: Zhōngwén Pīnyīn shūrù fāngfǎ.

How to Create Pinyin Conversion Macros in Word 2000?

1. Save the following macro text files:
unicodepinyin.txt(convert pinyin with numbers to unicode pinyin font)
unicodeback.txt (convert unicode pinyin font back to pinyin with numbers)
2. Use notepad to open unicodepinyin.txt
3. Edit, Select all, Copy
4. Close notepad
5. Open Word
6. Click Tool, Macro, Macros
7. Type 'unicodepinyin' in Macro name window
8.
Click Create

9. Press Control and V at the same time to paste codes
10. Click File, Close and return to Microsoft Word
The macro unicodepinyin is created.
Follow the same procedure to create 'unicodeback' macro. (Name the new macro 'unicodeback')

Testing: convert pinyin with numbers to tones:

Type: a1a2a3a4o1o2o3e1e2e3e4i1i2i3i4u1u2u3u4uu1uu2uu3uu4uu
Highlight the typed line, click Tools, Macro, Macros
Double click unicodepinyin and the line will be converted to pinyin with tones:
āáǎàōóǒòēéěèīíǐìǖǘǚǜü

Try unicodeback macro and see if pinyin with tones is converted back to pinyin with numbers
āáǎàōóǒòēéěèīíǐìǖǘǚǜü=>a1a2a3a4o1o2o3e1e2e3e4i1i2i3i4u1u2u3u4uu1uu2uu3uu4uu
 

III. Use Pinyin to Unicode convertor page at http://www.foolsworkshop.com/ptou/

This web site converts text written in pinyin, with syllable-final tone numbers, into unicode. The result is displayed both as plain unicode text and as the HTML code necessary to display the unicode in a web page. Simply enter or paste in the pinyin and convert.

IV. Use a special Pinyin Editor program. It can be downloaded from http://www.euroasiasoftware.com/english/chinese/pinyineng.html

V. Other Resources

·  Aslaksen, Helmer.  "Reading and Writing Chinese Characters and Pinyin on the Web Using Unicode;" last updated: Aug. 23, 2002, <http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/read.shtml#Writing>.

·  Bruggeman, Sebastien. "Howto Pinyin;" <http://seba.ulyssis.org/thesis/howto-pinyin.php>; (accessed: August 28, 2002)

·  Chan, Marjorie. "Using Wenlin for Chinese and Pinyin with Tone Diacritics;" created: 29 March 2001, <http://deall.ohio-state.edu/chan.9/computing/Wenlin_UTF8_PYTones.htm> .

·  CJKware.com. "Hanzi To Pinyin Documentation;" 2001, <http://www.cjkware.com/h2p.htm>.

·  EuroAsia Software. "Free Pinyin Editor to Download;" <http://www.euroasiasoftware.com/english/chinese/pinyineng.html>; (accessed: August 28, 2002)

·  Lawson, Konrad Mitchell. "Pinyin to Unicode;"  last updated: July 24, 2002,  <http://www.foolsworkshop.com/ptou/>

·  Tukiainen, Matti. "Location of Hanyu Pinyin characters in Unicode character set;"  1994-2002, <http://ktmatu.com/info/hanyu-pinyin-characters/unicode-character-set.utf8.html>