Sogou Pinyin for Mac

Sogou Pinyin for Mac is a lightweight but incredibly useful teaching tool that can help users of all knowledge levels to learn or practice how to type in Chinese.

Built from the ground up to be as intuitive and easy to use as possible, this application is regarded by many Chinese language teachers and their pupils as one of the best ways anyone can augment their efforts of learning the Chinese language.

To get the Sogou Pinyin application ready on your Mac, simply download it and run the installer. Sadly, the installer is by default set in the Chinese language.

This is not a big problem, but it is important to note that on the initial splash screen the installer will ask you to download and assign a special Sogou web browser as the default browser on your Mac. Simply uncheck this option that is presented on the bottom of the splash screen, and then click on the big bright orange button to initiate the app installation.

At the very end of the procedure, the Chinese-language wizard installer will present you with five checkboxes that signify the automatic updater and other optional features. All of them are safe to be unchecked!

Once installed, Sogou Pinyin for macOS will integrate itself with the language platform service on your Mac, but it will not be activated for immediate use. To activate it, simply go to your Control Panel > Regions and Languages > Keyboards and Languages to turn on Sogou Pinyin.
 
The procedure for using this teaching tool is very easy. Simply start typing any Chinese word or phrase, and the small popup window will appear offering you a dictionary listing of similar words that can be easily inserted into your text box. For example, by starting to type “ni hao”, a Chinese word for “hello”, the app will instantly showcase a popup window that features five similar words, written in Chinese mandarin symbols.

By simply pressing the corresponding number of your keyboard, that word will be selected. In addition to single words, the app will also detect and offer Chinese language symbols for entire phrases and sometimes entire sentences.

After some time practicing this input method, both new learners of the Chinese language and seasoned native speakers can become proficient in computer writing of the Chinese language.

Sogou Pinyin for Mac is 100% FREE and optimized for all modern versions of macOS.

How to Use

Open the .dmg file and install the application

Open System Preferences > Keyboard > Input Sources

Click "+" and select "Sogou Pinyin" from the list

Switch between input methods using Control + Space

Customize settings within the Sogou Preferences panel

Use predictive text and shortcuts to speed up typing

Sync cloud dictionary with your Sogou account

System Requirements

• macOS 10.10 (Yosemite) or later
• Intel or Apple Silicon (M1/M2) processor
• At least 200MB of available disk space
• Internet connection for cloud features
• Chinese language support enabled in macOS

PROS

• Fast and accurate Chinese character input
• Smart predictive text and cloud sync
• Rich customization and skin themes
• Built-in emoji and symbol support
• Frequent updates and bug fixes

CONS

• Includes ads in some versions
• Slower performance on older Macs
• Occasional bugs with macOS updates
• Limited offline features
• Privacy concerns with data sync

Also Available: Download Sogou Pinyin for Windows