Guide to Dayi input/Printable version

Guide to Dayi input

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Introduction

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Introduction to Dayi input

Dayi input method (大易輸入法 - Dà yì shūrù fǎ) is a Chinese shape based input method. Dayi method was created for traditional Chinese characters and many implementations doesn't support the simplified set of characters. This guide is invented to help English students learn Dayi. Authoritative information in chinese is available at www.dayi.com.

Shape based input methods use components, that are combined to create Chinese characters. They are bound to keys on a keyboard and are typed one after another to make the combination. These are example components and characters created by them("day", "person", "soil"):

• 日　=>　旦　昔　旲
• 人　=>　亾　汆　今
• 土　=>　在　吐　時

Note that some components are Chinese characters themselves (e.g. 日). Dayi uses a total of 46 components, bound to 20 keys, which means that the single key can include a few components bound. The components are bound to all the letter keys, numeral keys (above the letters) and , . / ; keys. To create a character, one must type the keys with components used in that character, and hit space. If there's only one possible character, the character will be typed. Otherwise, the list with potential characters will show up, and the user will choose the character. The way the components are combined is explained in the next page.

The placement of Dayi components

A QWERTY keyboard layout for the Dayi input method (annotated with hints and related/auxiliary radicals)

As you can see on the image above, Dayi has more than one component bound to the keys (for example the key "6" has 車，門，片，鬥，甫，爿，丱，丬 and some more). This makes Dayi harder to learn, but the creators tried to place them in the logical way. Both the placement and memorization hints will be covered in this guide.

List of all components will be found here

Worth to mention! On the image above, there are 6 red characters on keys ` ' [ ] - \. These are not included on some IMEs such as gcin.

How Can I get Dayi IME

For traditional characters, dayi is available on:

• Windows (eg. 7, 8 or 10)
• Linux - via ibus, gcin and similar
• Mac OS - via openvilla and similar
• Android - via LIME, gcin and similar

Additional support for simplified characters is available on:

• Windows 10
• Android - via LIME

About the guide

The guide is split into 4 main parts:

1. Introduction (this page),
2. The way of making combinations (next page),
3. Memorization of the components and their placement (pages 3-9),
4. Exmaple combinations (last page).

Notation

The guide uses "components" notation instead of keys, so that the readers will get used to the components. Due to the fact that some components are not Chinese characters, they can not be typed alone. In that case, the "parental" component will be used (that main shape on keyboard above). eg. 陳 without 東. In this case, component 耳 would be used in the notation.

Categories

Main components are split to 7 categories:

• Five elements (五行)
• Human (人)
• Animals (動物)
• Nature (自然)
• Agriculture (農業)
• Craft (工藝)
• Others (其他)

Typing

Components are combined in the following rules:

First three rule

Since Dayi creates characters by typing 4 keys or less, there must be a way to write characters that contain more than 4 components. It's done by typing first 3 components and the last. For example the character 壓 is created by 厂曰月大丶土 components, so one must type 厂曰月土.

Save rule

Some characters include too much strokes within the character e.g. 東. In order to reduce the number of used keys, we can simply use and type 木 and 日 instead (in this particular example).

Stroke order

Just like in normal writing, characters are created from top to bottom, from left to right, For example:

• 厶月七七 => 能
• 禾口 => 和
• 舟几又石 => 磐

Symmetry separator first

When there is a combination of two same components separated by one other character, that "separator" is typed first. For example:

• 言糹糹馬 => 彎
• 工人人 => 巫

This doesn't apply for 木, 辛, 王, 弓 characters

• 王丶竹王 => 班
• 匚𠃑米𠃑 => 粥

Outside first

If a component is inside one another, the outside one is typed first:

• 田口 => 回
• 冎口 => 咼
• 門木四 => 闌

This doesn't apply if the outer character isn't closed on the top, example:

• 幺幺山 => 幽
• 乂凵 => 凶

Note that in the first example, the component 田 was used instead of 囗. Both 田 and 囗 are bound to '7' key, but 囗 might be confused with 口 bound on 'O'. From now on, 田 will be used instead of 囗, since the characters 囗口 may look the same on some fonts.

Lazy typing

There is a lot of characters that can be combined by using only two components (the first and the last). If there is no "collision" (there are no characters signed to the code), the character will be typed. For example:

• 言口 => 語
• 言馬 => 彎
• 車刂 => 輸

There's worth mentioning, that 語 is not the only character that ends with 口, e.g. 話. 言口 is signed to the character 語. It's because this is probably the most common character from the group of possible characters.

臼 Wildcard

The component 臼 is used regardless of the content. For example:

• 臼手 => 學
• 臼米 => 興
• 臼土 => 舉

Example Codes

Here is a spreadsheet of example characters you can use to practice:

Dayi practice sheet

Components/5 Elements

五行 5 elements

The number of subcomponents in this section probably wont be exhaustive. The focus should be on finding ways to easily remember the most important ones. When studying the components, you should have a list of all the components ready. You can download it here.

金 (0) gold.
Imagine three of the subcomponents 癶辶乀 forming an oblong shape that looks like an 0 :
癶
辶乀 then you might remember that the top part of 祭 and 廴 are also subcomponents, since they look like 癶 and 辶.

木 (I) tree
The only subcomponent is 朩. With a bit of imagination, the middle part of the subcomponent looks like upper case "i" with serifs: I.

水 (X) water
If you ignore the middle part of 水, the character looks x shaped. Alle the subcomponents: 氵氺乂又夂攵夊乄 is either derived from the water character (like the often used water radical 氵) or looks like the letter X.

火 (Y) fire
The sub elements all have four dots: 灬 and 兆 without儿. You might say that 火 most closely resemble the letter x, but since x is taken, imagine it looks like a Y (the two first strokes of 火 when written by hand, often looks like the first two strokes of Y).

土 (F) soil, earth
The subcomponents all have a vertical stoke with some horizontal strokes: 士丰丯耂 a bit like the letter F (except that in F, the strokes doesnt go all the way through)

Example characters

金 (0) gold key examples:
這 10
躚 94v0
寙 mh;0
狿 ,/90
囪 /7/0
登 0eou
鉶 0eun
祭 0eet

木 (I) tree key examples:
麻 cii
辣 ksio

水 (X) water key examples:
樣 iufx
做 asox
鹵 97xy
承 bjxk or bgy or bxx or bgbk
龍 kj9x
氯 cnx notice the n part should look like 彑
淣 xwq
兇 xwq
叟 1rrx or 1wx
瞰 3rpx
擾 ghjx

火 (Y) fire key examples:
為 ./by or /.by or jbby or j/by
鹵 97xy
犀 h1y2

土 (F) soil, earth key examples:
樣 iufx
隹 akf
畢 duf
拜 efef or vsef
恝 fnz
觰 nfd
遠 fok0
垹 ffp
用 mf
犕 2s/f

Components/Human

人 man/person/people

The number of subcomponents in this section probably wont be exhaustive. The focus should be on finding ways to easily remember the most important ones. When studying the components, you should have a list of all the components ready. You can download it here.

人 (A) man/person/people.
The subcomponent 亻 is derived from 人. All the subcomponents look like 人. 入亻 and 人 look like A without the horizontal part. In the subelement 亽 the horizontal part is included.

心 (Z) heart.
Both subcomponents are derived from 心. To make 心 look like the letter Z, image the two bottom strokes bent, so that the lower-left most stroke form the top of Z.

口 (D) mouth.
Draw a circle around the square and you get the letter O (more circular than the number 0).

言 (1) words, speech.
The subcomponents are 丨and 丿 as in 川111 They look quite like the number 1 (without serifs).

耳 (P) ear.
The subcomponents either resembles the letter P 卩阝or the shape of 耳 like 身镸 (see the chart for a full list of subcomponents). Notice that it can be hard to separate the shapes for the keys 土 （F） 耳 （P）and 目 （3）.

目 (3) eye.
The subcomponents either look like 目 or a vertical stroke with 2 or 3 vertical ones (a bit like the number 3. Notice that it can be hard to separate the shapes for the keys 土 （F） 耳 （P）and 目 （3）.

手 (G) hand.
The subcomponents look like 扌or the strokes 1,2 or 2,3 of 扌. You might remeber the key this way: The word for sell phone is 手機shǒujī "hand machine", jī sounds like G.

足 (9) leg.
The sub elements are 止 and卜(stroke 4,5of足). Taiwan has an amusement park called "Formosan aboriginal culture village". The chinese name is 九族文化村 "nine ethnicity culture villages" you will walk around a lot.

女 (L) woman.
The sub elements start with the first stroke: 𡿨巜 巛 which look like the letter L as in Lady.

Example characters

人 (A) man/person/people key examples:
做 asox
合 ao
籤 /aa5
闕 6uwa
聚 pxaa or px,
入 a
飛 ca1c or c1ac or cac1 or cca1

心 (Z) heart key examples:
忭 zk9
恝 fnz
慕 udvz

口 (D) mouth examples:
的 /db.
畽 7vdf
胂 jd1
犣 2ld5 or 2l75
衰 kdk
恆 zede or zeje

言 (1) words, speech examples:
讓 1kok
這 10
所 hhe1
川 111
斲 r1r1 or me11 or mee1
升 v11

耳 (P) ear examples:
卸 2e9p
面 h7p
聚 pxaa
邵 nop
鯓 np
髟 p/
長 pk
瞰 3rpx
其 p8

目 (3) eye examples:
詐 123
誹 133
貞 938
犋 238
贍 38n1
闐 6s38

手 (G) hand examples:
我 vg5
打 gej
學 wmbg
釮 0g/
蒘 ulog

足 (9) leg examples:
不 h9
起 f9rc
鹵 97xy
躚 94v0
歨 99
綖 t/90
歲 9ht5
歳 9ht5
斥 he9
忭 zk9
蹇 ms89
跠 9vrb

女 (L) woman examples:
犣 2ld5 or 2l75
捑 gdlv
亥 kl/a
妄 kll
觓 nl1
牏 6ajn

Components/Animals

動物 animals

The number of subcomponents in this section probably wont be exhaustive. The focus should be on finding ways to easily remember the most important ones. When studying the components, you should have a list of all the components ready. You can download it here.

牛 (2) cow.
The sub elements look like 牛: 午2s 五e2 告2o the ox is the second animal in the zodiac

馬 (B) horse.
The subcomponents look like the lower right side. 乛习勹 to rember this key (B), think of the famous fictional horse Black Beauty.

鹿 (C) deer.
The subcomponents are inspired by the first 3 strokes: 广 (虍飞乁气) or the last 2 strokes: 匕 (七乙乚). The shape 乚 and the letter C look a bit similar. Dont confuse the subelements with the ones from 鳥(H).

力 (,) power.
The main subcomponents are 犭 and 豕e, without 一 (dog and the bottom side of pig). You can remember that "power" and "insect" are the "odd animals out". like , and ; are different from letters and numbers.

虫 (;) insect.
The main subcomponent is the 3,5,6 stroke of 虫: 厶 you can remember that "power" and "insect" are the "odd animals out" like , and ; are different from letters and numbers.

魚 (N) fish.
The subcomponents here seems a bit varied: 刀夕彑刂角 Here is an attempt to create a mnemonic: Imagine that N is a fishing rod, you are "angling" (角) with a knife (刀刂) instead of a hook. (but dont confuse it with the hook 亅 from 月(J)).

鳥 (H) bird.
The subcomponents here can be hard to connect to the main component 鳥: 戶户尸厂丆, but they have this in common：They all have a horizontal part at the top and a vertical part on the left or, like 丆, moving leftward. The word for migratory bird is 候鳥 hòuniǎo (starts with an H). Dont confuse the subelement with the ones from 鹿(C).

Example characters

牛（2）cow key examples:
特 2fg.
詐 123
先 2q
五 e2
年 22
違 2o20

馬（B）horse key examples:
的 /db.
為 ./by or /.by or jbby or j/by
爲 j/by
卷 uvbc
翏 bba/
矛 b,
駟 b4
承 bjxk or bgy or bxx or bgbk
弜 rbrb
翗 nnbb
虧 cakb
与 ebe

鹿（C) deer key examples:
麻 cii
能 ;jcc
起 f9rc
噓 oc6e
卷 uvbc
純 tewc
訊 1c1.
翏 bba/
藨 ucy
柀 icx
栳 ifc
吃 o2c
飛 ca1c or c1ac or cac1 or cca1
氣 c8

力 (,) power (犭 dog radical) key examples:
狿 ,/90
矛 b,
冢 me,. or mee.
貍 j,df
勂 2o,
聚 px, or pxaa
潀 x4, or x4aa
璈 5f,x or 5f.x

虫 (;) insect key examples:
能 ;jcc
觚 nh;0
風 q;
瑵 5x.;
郎 .;p

魚 (N) fish key examples:
夠 nnbo
龜 NMER （or NMEX）
鉶 0eun
恝 fnz
危 nhbc
蝓 ;ajn
鱈 nmr
觓 nl1
互 en

鳥 (H) bird key examples:
不 h9 兀 eq and 光 teq not thc
擾 ghjx
所 hhe1
官 mhr
面 h7p
稨 vhmu
鵹 vb/h
万 hb 兀 eq and 光 teq not thc
戌 h5
昜 dhb/ 兀 eq and 光 teq not thc
暇 dhex
搣 ghy5

Components/Nature

自然 nature

The number of subcomponents in this section probably wont be exhaustive. The focus should be on finding ways to easily remember the most important ones. When studying the components, you should have a list of all the components ready. You can download it here.

日 (D) day.
The subcomponents look like 日 and the key is D as in day.

月 (J) month.
The second stroke of 月 looks like the letter J, and it looks like one of the subcomponents: 亅. The other subcomponents looks like distorted versions of 月: 爫冃 炙jy without 火.

山 (W) mountain.
This looks quite like W. Subcomponents: 凵屮臼 and 凹we without 一. 屮 looks like 山, and 凹we without 一 looks like 山 upside down. 臼 looks like a distorted 凵.

石 (Q) stone.
Main subcomponents:　几儿　 凸qw without 一. 刻石几 Kè shí jǐ means "carved stone" and sounds like Q石几.

雨 (M) rain.
The lines of the bottom part of 雨 looks like 山 upside-down. And M looks like W upside down. Subcomponents: 冂冖宀冎. Like 山 has 凵 as a component, 雨 has 冂 and similar.

Example characters

日 (D) day key examples:
的 /db.
畽 7vdf
胂 jd1
犣 2ld5 or 2l75
衰 kdk
恆 zede or zeje

月 (J) month key examples:
組 tje
能 ;jcc
衝 evdj
為 ./by or /.by or jbby or j/by
爲 j/by
承 bjxk or bgy or bxx or bgbk
棈 ifj
稃 vjbg
嬏 lji7
搖 gj2w alternative character： 摇
貍 j,df

山 (W) mountain key examples:
學 wmbg
欮 uwna
與 we8
純 tewc
淣 xwq
凹 we
齒 9w

石 (Q) stone key examples:
光 teq not thc
" 軓 6q.
砪 q7.
兔 noq. or /oq.
凸 qw
流 xk;q

雨 (M) rain key examples:
蹇 ms89
鶻 mjh
稨 vhmu
冢 me,. or mee.
鱈 nmr
帶 smm1

Components/Agriculture

農業 agriculture

The number of subcomponents in this section probably wont be exhaustive. The focus should be on finding ways to easily remember the most important ones. When studying the components, you should have a list of all the components ready. You can download it here.

田 (7) field/farm.
Main subcomponent: 囗 you can connect 田 to the number 7 by using a verbal pun: 田契tiánqì land deed (which sounds like:) 田七tián​qī seudo-ginseng / radix notoginseng (7 is 七qī).

禾 (V) cereal/grain.
Subcomponents: The 2 first strokes, 大夫 and 𡗗. 大夫dàifu means doctor so you can use this pun: “visit which doctor?” V何大夫 V hé dài​fu. Which sounds like: V 禾 大夫 V hé dài​fu.

米 (8) rice.
Subcomponents: The first 2 strokes 丷 and the last two 八 and 㡀 and 酉. The number 8 is 八 and 酉 is the 8th solar month (8th September-7th October). You can remember it this way: “8 bottles of rice alcohol” 八瓶米酒 (bottle: 瓶 start with the 2 strokes: 丷 ).

竹 (/) bamboo.
The key is the first stroke / which looks like the subcomponents: 丿彡. One subcomponent is very different： 鬼 /; Since 鬼 means ghost, maybe you can remember a short story like "fling aside the ghost with a bamboo stick".

艸 (U) grass.
The subcomponents includes the grass radical 艹 and similar shapes: 廾业. Since another subcomponent is the top part of 羊 uf and that shape kind of looks like a U.

Example characters

田 (7) field/farm key examples:
畏 7ek
甹 7seb
砪 q7.
鹵 97xy
犣 2ld5 or 2l75

禾 (V) cereal/grain key examples:
我 vg5
衝 evdj
卷 uvbc
耤 visd
稃 vjbg
跠 9vrb
揍 gvev

米 (8) rice key examples:
真 s38 or c38 not s3e8
曾 84d
璘 58n2
徶 e8x
緧 t88 or tu7e
谷 8o

竹 (/) bamboo key examples:
的 /db.
翏 bba/
宮 mo/o
囪 /7/0
卑 /d/s or /dv1
乒 hr/
鬼 /;

艸 (U) grass key examples:
對 Uuf.
卷 uvbc
鉶 0eun
畢 duf
華 ueuf
荓 uuu
判 usn
並 uu

Components/Craft and Others

工藝其他 craft and others

The number of subcomponents in this section probably wont be exhaustive. The focus should be on finding ways to easily remember the most important ones. When studying the components, you should have a list of all the components ready. You can download it here.

工 (R) work.
The word for an elderly man or grandfather is 阿公 āgōng (sounds like R工 R gōng). He has probably done a lot of work in his life. Here are 2 subcomponents: 匚彐 and the others basically look like variations on those two. Each subcomponent can point either left or right. If you imagine cutting 工 down the middle, it looks like 2 copies of the first subcomponent 匚. One pointing left and the other pointing right.

車 (6) car.
Subcomponents: 甫門鬥爿片丬丱 鼎 36 minus 目. Here is a mnemonic to remember some of them: 甫6片車門 "barely 6 pieces of car door". Imagine a person buying a used car and getting cheated.

舟 (.) boat.
Some of the subcomponents come from stroke 4,5,6 of 舟. Another subcomponent is 方 and it is a bit more difficult to remember. 方舟 fāngzhōu is an ark as in Noas ark. Mnemonik: Noas ark is but a dot "." in the ocean when the flood come.

糸 (T) silk.
The subcomponents look like either the top 幺 or the bottom 小 of 糸. Imagine a T-shirt made of silk.

革 (S) leather.
Subcomponents: The top and the bottom parts of 革: 廿十 and similar. Its hard to connect this with the letter S, but here is a suggestion: In 2010 came a documentary "waiting for Superman" about the american school system. Imagine some leather clad students who in 2010 saw why they didnt like school.

立 (K) to stand.
The most important subcomponent might be 衤. All the other subelements look like it: 礻之 or parts of it like: 亠𧘇. 衤 is the clothes radical. Together with 立 "to stand" you might remember K立衤 as a Koat rack（with a K instead of a C) since clothes "stand up" when it is on a coat rack.

一 (E) one.
一 yī and the subcomponent 彳chì both sound like E: chì yī E.

四 (4) four.
Subcomponents: 罒覀西黑. 罒覀and西 all look like 四. 黑 and the similar subcomponents are more difficult to remember.

王 (5) king.
Subcomponents: 壬 戈e5 without 一. 壬 easy, but the others a quite difficult.

Example characters

工 (R) work key examples:
起 f9rc
臧 6er5
肅 r61 (or r16)
官 mhr
昂 drp
黽 meer or me1r
牙 rj/
瞰 3rpx
鱈 nmr
戉 r5
叟 1rrx or 1wx
妞 lrs

車 (6) car key examples:
軝 6re5
闌 6i4
溥 x6g.
鬥 6eo. or 6
鼎 36
牁 6eoj
輸 6ajn
噓 oc6e
聯 ptt6

舟 (.) boat key examples:
的 /db.
就 kot.
冢 me,. or mee.
軓 6q.
勺 b.
勻 b. or bee
匀 b.
呌 o.s
鉥 0i.
砪 q7.
乓 hr.
舳 .7s
罶 4r.7
班 51.5
軨 6ab. not 6an
刅 n..
淓 xu.
凍 .id

糸 (T) silk key examples:
組 tje
緧 t88 tu7e
祭 0eet
兼 urt
聯 ptt6
鄉 t.;p
光 teq
歲 9ht5
歳 9ht5
黹 u8mt
赫 ftft

革 (S) leather key examples:
辣 ksio
蹇 ms89
妞 lrs
哄 os8
犮 sx.
仗 as0
芾 usm
苖 u7s
枓 i.s
黃 se78 or s78
靶 sr1c
無 2sy
帶 smm1
摭 gcsy

立 (K) to stand key examples:
辣 ksio
縍 tk8.
忭 zk9
承 bjxk or bgy or bxx or bgbk
衰 kdk
挀 ghrk
抸 g/k
垠 frk
袾 k2i alternative character: 祩
禗 k7z

一 (E) one key examples:
組 tje
衝 evdj
打 gej
臧 6er5 or hlh5
純 tewc
冢 me,. or mee.
均 fbee

四 (4) four key examples:
鐲 04b;
黫 44f
闌 6i4
曾 84d
煙 y4f
葽 u4l
纁 tv4
徆 e4

王 (5) king key examples:
我 vg5
籤 /aa5
玉 5.
廷 50
鼠 w5
跩 9d5
芅 ue5
軝 6re5
犣 2ld5 or 2l75