Table of Contents

πŸ“š Quick Reference

Check the Hangul-Hiragana conversion rules at a glance:

πŸ“‹ View Hangul-Hiragana Conversion Table

1. Basic Usage

HanhonKey is a keyboard that automatically converts Hangul pronunciation input into Japanese (Hiragana/Katakana). If you know Japanese pronunciation, you can type Japanese using Hangul!

How It Works

When you combine Hangul consonants and vowels, they automatically convert to the corresponding Japanese characters based on pronunciation.

Example: Typing "sakura"

γ……γ…γ…‹γ…œγ„Ήγ… β†’ さくら

Type the Hangul consonants and vowels for "사쿠라" in order, and it becomes the hiragana "さくら".

Input Modes

HanhonKey supports three input modes:

Hiragana Mode (Default)

Hangul input β†’ Converts to Hiragana
Used for general Japanese text

Katakana Mode

Hangul input β†’ Converts to Katakana
Used for foreign words, onomatopoeia, emphasis

Hangul Mode

Type Hangul as-is
For Korean text and translation

2. Hangul Input Mode

HanhonKey can also type Hangul (Korean) directly. In Hangul mode, you can use it like a regular Korean keyboard.

Switching to Hangul Mode

Tap the ν•œκΈ€ or あい button on the keyboard to toggle between Hangul and Japanese modes.

Mode Indicator

  • ν•œκΈ€ - Currently in Japanese mode (tap to switch to Hangul)
  • あい - Currently in Hangul mode (tap to switch to Japanese)

Korean β†’ Japanese Translation Workflow

The biggest advantage of Hangul mode is its integration with the translation feature:

  1. Switch to Hangul mode
  2. Type a Korean sentence (e.g., "였늘 날씨가 μ’‹λ„€μš”")
  3. Tap the Translate button
  4. Your Korean text is translated to Japanese (e.g., "今ζ—₯γ―ε€©ζ°—γŒγ„γ„γ§γ™γ­")
  5. You can also translate word by word
Tip

If you don't know how to pronounce a Japanese sentence, type it in Korean first and use the translation feature! You'll get natural Japanese expressions.

3. Hiragana Input

Hiragana is the basic Japanese script. In HanhonKey's default mode, Hangul input is converted to Hiragana.

Basic Vowels (あ Row)

아→あ 이→い μš°β†’γ† μ—β†’γˆ μ˜€β†’γŠ

Consonant + Vowel Combinations

Combine Hangul consonants and vowels to input hiragana for each row.

か Row

카→か 킀→き 쿠→く 케→け 코→こ
View Complete Conversion Table

All Hangul-Hiragana conversion rules can be found on the Hangul-Hiragana Conversion Table page.

γ…œ and γ…‘ Difference

The Japanese "u" sound is between the Korean "γ…œ" and "γ…‘". HanhonKey converts both to the same hiragana.

μŠ€β†’γ™ μˆ˜β†’γ™

Use whichever is more comfortable!

ㅐ and γ…” Difference

The Japanese "e" sound is between the Korean "ㅐ" and "γ…”". HanhonKey converts both to the same hiragana.

케→け 캐→け
세→せ μƒˆβ†’γ›

No need to worry about typos!

4. Katakana Input

Katakana is mainly used for foreign words, onomatopoeia, mimetic words, and emphasis. In most cases, katakana suggestions will appear even when typing in hiragana mode. Use katakana mode when suggestions are not available.

Switching to Katakana Mode

Tap the γ‚«γ‚Ώ button on the keyboard to switch to Katakana mode.

Input in Katakana Mode

μ½”νžˆβ†’γ‚³γƒΌγƒ’γƒΌ
λΌλ©˜β†’γƒ©γƒΌγƒ‘γƒ³

Mode Indicators

  • γ‚«γ‚Ώ - Currently in Hiragana mode (tap to switch to Katakana)
  • γ‚«γ‚Ώ - Currently in Katakana mode (tap to switch to Hiragana)
Tip

Switch to Katakana mode when typing foreign words. In Japan, foreign words are typically written in Katakana.

5. Special Characters

Sokuon (っ/ッ) - Double Consonants

Sokuon is the "small tsu" that represents a double consonant sound. In HanhonKey, entering consecutive consonants converts them to sokuon. Since Japanese mode has no final consonants (batchim), input is shown as follows:

Sokuon Examples

μ‚¬γ……ν¬λ‘œβ†’γ•γ£γ½γ‚
λ‹ˆγ……ν¬γ„΄β†’γ«γ£γ½γ‚“

The consonant "γ……" converts to sokuon "っ". You can also type "μ‚¬γ…ν¬λ‘œ" or "λ‹ˆγ…ν¬γ„΄".

Consonant Converts to Example
γ„±, γ…‹ っ 사ㅋ카 β†’ さっか
γ…… っ λ§ˆγ……μ‚¬μ§€ β†’ γΎγ£γ•γ˜
γ…‚, ㅍ っ μ΄γ…νŒŒμ΄ β†’ いっぱい
γ„·, γ…Œ っ μ΄γ…Œνƒ€μ΄ β†’ γ„γ£γŸγ„

N Sound (γ‚“)

"γ‚“" is the Japanese nasal consonant. Type Hangul "γ„΄" or "γ…‡" followed by another consonant, and the "γ„΄" or "γ…‡" will convert to "γ‚“". If there's no further input, it automatically converts after 1 second.

γ„΄ / γ…‡β†’γ‚“
λ‹ˆν˜Έγ„΄β†’γ«γ»γ‚“

If you're not familiar with Hangul input, you can change the 'Hiragana Conversion Delay' to 2 seconds in the main app settings for more time.

Yōon (きゃ, しゅ, etc.)

Yōon are contracted sounds combining a consonant with ya, yu, or yo. Just type naturally in Hangul.

Yōon Examples

캬→きゃ 큐→きゅ 쿄→きょ
샀→しゃ μŠˆβ†’γ—γ‚… 쇼→しょ

Object Particle γ‚’

The Japanese particle "γ‚’" sounds like "お" but is a different character. In HanhonKey, type "μ–΄" to get "γ‚’".

μ–΄β†’γ‚’

"μ–΄" was chosen to match the feeling of Korean object particles "λ₯Ό/을".

Difference between γ‚’ and お
  • γ‚’ (particle): "μ–΄" β†’ γ‚’ (e.g., ζœ¬γ‚’θͺ­γ‚€ = read a book)
  • お (general): "였" β†’ お (e.g., γŠγ―γ‚ˆγ† = good morning)

6. Kanji Conversion

After typing hiragana, you can convert to kanji. HanhonKey includes over 10,000 Japanese words in its dictionary.

How to Convert to Kanji

  1. Type a word in hiragana (e.g., さくら)
  2. Kanji candidates appear in the suggestion bar at the top of the keyboard
  3. Tap your desired kanji to select it

Kanji Conversion Examples

γ•γγ‚‰β†’ζ‘œ
にほん→ζ—₯本

Using the Suggestion Bar

In the suggestion bar at the top of the keyboard:

  • Scroll left/right to see more candidates
  • Tap any kanji/word to insert it immediately
  • Frequently used words appear first
Tip: Finding the Right Kanji

When there are many homophones, typing a longer word helps you find the right kanji. For example, typing just "き" gives too many results, but typing "きもけ" quickly finds "ζ°—ζŒγ‘".

7. Translation

HanhonKey supports real-time bidirectional Korean-Japanese translation.

Full Access Required

To use the translation feature, you must enable Allow Full Access in Settings. See the Installation Guide.

How to Use Translation

  1. Type a sentence in Korean that you want to translate
  2. Tap the Translate button
  3. The Korean text is replaced with its Japanese translation

Translation Examples

μ•ˆλ…•ν•˜μ„Έμš” β†’ Translate β†’ こんにけは
λ§›μžˆκ²Œ λ“œμ„Έμš” β†’ Translate β†’ ε¬γ—δΈŠγŒγ‚Œ

Japanese β†’ Korean Translation

When you have Japanese text entered, pressing the translate button will convert it to Korean.

Translation Tips
  • Shorter sentences yield more accurate translations
  • Formal language translates more accurately than casual speech
  • Proper nouns may not always be translated correctly

8. Dictionary Registration

Register personal content not included in the default dictionary, such as your name, for quick input.

How to Register Words

  1. Open the main app
  2. Go to the Custom Dictionary menu
  3. Enter the hiragana reading and the corresponding conversion result (kanji, word, etc.)
  4. Tap the Add to Dictionary button
  5. Tap View List to see your personal dictionary list

Registration Examples

Hiragana: γͺまえ β†’ Result: 名前
Hiragana: あんにょん β†’ Result: μ•ˆλ…•

Using Registered Words

When you type the registered hiragana on the keyboard, the corresponding word will appear first in the suggestion bar.

Managing Your Dictionary

You can view, edit, and delete registered words in the Custom Dictionary menu of the main app.

9. Settings

Fine-tune keyboard behavior in the main app's Settings screen.

Keyboard Settings

Setting Description
Haptic Feedback Provides vibration feedback when pressing keys. Helps confirm your input by touch.
Hiragana Conversion Delay Set the time to convert Hangul to hiragana: 1 second or 2 seconds. 2 seconds is recommended for slower typing.
Furigana Display Shows readings (hiragana) next to kanji candidates. Useful for learning kanji.
Romaji Input Type Japanese using the English (QWERTY) keyboard. Recommended for those familiar with traditional romaji input.
Keep Original on Translation Displays original text alongside translation. Shows as "Original β†’ Translation" format.

App Settings

Setting Description
Theme Choose app display brightness: Light, Dark, or Auto.
Language Change app display language to Korean or Japanese.
Tip: Using Furigana Display

If you're learning Japanese, turn on furigana display. You can check the reading every time you select a kanji - great for learning!

10. Premium Features

HanhonKey offers basic features for free and additional features as premium.

Free Trial

After installation, enjoy 10 days free access to all premium features.

Free vs Premium

Feature Free Premium
Hiragana/Katakana Input βœ“ βœ“
Basic Kanji Conversion βœ“ βœ“
User Dictionary Up to 5 entries Unlimited
Word Suggestions - βœ“
Katakana Suggestions - βœ“
Emoji/Kaomoji Suggestions - βœ“
Translation - 30/month
Personalized Learning (iCloud Sync) - βœ“

Subscription Plans

Plan Features
Monthly Auto-renews monthly. All premium features + 30 translations/month
Yearly 2 months free! All premium features + 30 translations/month
Lifetime One-time payment for permanent access. Future features included!

Additional Translation Package

For those who need more than 30 translations per month:

πŸ“ 500 Translation Pack

Get 500 additional translations. No expiration date - adds to your existing balance.

iCloud Sync

Premium users can use iCloud sync to share settings and user dictionary across multiple devices.

Cross-Platform License

With the Lifetime License, you can use premium features not only on iOS but also on Mac.

πŸ“± iOS Lifetime License

Premium features on iPhone & iPad + 2 Mac devices

πŸ–₯️ How to Link Mac

Sign in with Apple in the iOS app, then log in with the same account on the Mac app to automatically activate premium.

πŸ“ Coming Soon

Android and Windows versions are also planned. After release, Android lifetime license holders will be able to use premium on Windows, and iOS lifetime license holders will also be able to use premium on Windows. Our goal is to share premium across all platforms with the same account.

Subscription Management
  • Subscriptions auto-renew 24 hours before the current period ends
  • Cancel subscriptions in Settings β†’ [Your Name] β†’ Subscriptions
  • Already paid amounts are non-refundable

11. Useful Tips

Fast Typing Tips
  • Register frequently used words in your dictionary
  • No need to press space in the middle of long words
  • Convert to kanji word by word for better accuracy
When You Don't Know the Pronunciation

If you don't know how to pronounce a Japanese word, type it in Korean and use the translation feature. For example, type "λ²šκ½ƒ" (cherry blossom) and translate to get "摜".

Long Vowels

The Japanese long vowel mark (γƒΌ) can be entered using the "-" (hyphen) key in Katakana mode.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use this without knowing Japanese keyboard layout?

A: Yes! You only need to know Japanese pronunciation. Just type the pronunciation in Hangul, and it automatically converts to Japanese.

Q: My hiragana keeps disappearing

A: Press space to confirm the composition, or select a kanji to complete the input.

Q: Translation isn't working

A: Check that "Allow Full Access" is enabled in Settings. Translation requires an internet connection.

Learn More

Want to see all the Hangul-Hiragana conversion rules?

View Hangul-Hiragana Table β†’