Type Foreign Currency Symbols in Mac OS X
Dec 20, 2009 - 6 Comments
Foreign Currency Symbols in Mac OS X
European Euro Symbol: € – Shift+Option+2
Japanese Yen Symbol: ¥ – Option+Y
British Pound Symbol: £ – Option+3
I had made posts on typing these currency symbols in Mac OS X apps before but I think it is a good idea to have them all in a central location for those International Mac users or avid travelers.
All those symbols are right there: http://store.apple.com/be-nl/product/MC184FN/A?fnode=MTY1NDA1Mg&mco=MTMzNzkwNjQ
I’d also point out that at least many symbols (though not the Euro) are somewhat mnemonic for Americans – you just press option while also pressing the most logical key. Consider:
The Japanese Yen symbol looks like a letter Y with a line through it: Option+Y = ¥
When Americans say “the pound sign” we mean # – and the # symbol is on the upper row 3 key, so to make a British pound symbol: Option+3 = £
If you want to create the ¢ sign, where would you look for it? Well the other U.S. currency symbol is the dollar sign ($) which is on the upper row 4 key: Option+4 = ¢
How about the degree symbol (º)? Well, it looks like a small zero, right? So where else but on the upper row zero key: Option+0 = º
Many of us use an asterisk when making bullet points because we don’t know how to make a real bullet (•). The asterisk is on the uppercase 8 key, so just hold down the option key instead of the shift key and your bullets look better: Option+8 = •
Need an infinity symbol (∞)? Closest thing on the keyboard is the percent sign, on the upper row 5 key. So: Option+5 = ∞
How about the “circle R” trademark symbol? You guessed it: Option+R = ®
Into electronics? Specifying capacitor values? Don’t write mf when you really want µf: Option+M = µ
How about a slice of π (no, that’s not a lowercase n, it’s a pi symbol). Pi starts with P so: Option+P = π
Of course, ≤ and ≥ are where you’d expect, on the same keys as : Option+, = ≤ and Option+. = ≥
And you don’t need to make people guess if you mean division or a fraction by using the / symbol: Option+/ = ÷
What about a “not equals” sign? Do you even have to ask? (Wait for it, here it comes): Option+= = ≠
Not ALL symbols are mnemonic (for example, the © symbol is on Option+G – the only mnemonic I can think of for that one might offend the religious folks – *** **** the **AA).
Jack you are awesome you should write for this site
goosh, awesome !! I printed out this page. I asked the retail staff where i bought my iMac and they actually said they are not sure !!! Thank you so much : )
[...] to type foreign currency symbols on a Mac This great post from OSX Daily on how to type currency symbols (British Pound, Chinese Yuan, Euro) on a Mac came in handy the [...]
One mistake. Option+zero is not the degree sign. It’s a superscript O for ordinal numbers in Romance langauges. Option+9 is superscript A. You would write 2º or 2ª accordingly.
Now you may say that the superscript O and the degree sign look the same, but in some fonts, they have a little underline.
The real degree sign, which looks right in all fonts, is Shift-Option-8. Second in Spanish is 2º, two degrees is 2°. There is a slight difference in this font between the two: °º (degree sign, masculine ordinal sign)