macOS · INPUT METHOD

PinYing

A full pinyin input method that also writes your English. When an English word escapes you, type the pinyin and keep going — pause for a beat and PinYing turns the whole line into natural English, then carries the sentence a few words further. ⇥ takes the rewrite alone, ⇧⇥ takes the continuation with it, and Enter commits exactly what you typed.

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PinYing
macOS

PinYing for macOS

Version 0.3.0 · 20.9 MB · Universal (Apple Silicon & Intel)

Requires macOS 14.0 or later. Signed and notarized by Apple. After installing, log out and back in, then pick PinYing from the input menu.

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PinYing
iOS

PinYing for iPhone & iPad

Third-party keyboard · in App Store review

The same mixed pinyin-and-English typing, as an iOS keyboard. Not available yet.

COMING SOON

PinYing is a macOS input method built for people who write in both Chinese and English. In Chinese mode it is a straightforward pinyin IME — full-sentence input, phrases, abbreviations, fuzzy pinyin and user word frequency, powered by librime with the Luna Pinyin dictionary and the essay language model, running entirely on your Mac. In English mode it does something a normal keyboard cannot: you can drop pinyin into the middle of an English sentence whenever a word escapes you, keep typing, and when you pause, PinYing sends that one sentence to an AI model that rewrites the mix into correct, natural English and continues it a few words further. The suggestion appears in a panel under the cursor, split into two runs: the rewrite of your own sentence, and the continuation past it. ⇥ commits the rewrite alone, ⇧⇥ commits the continuation with it, Enter commits exactly what you typed, and Esc dismisses the suggestion. It works the same in Mail, Slack, a code editor or a browser text box, because everything happens inside the input method rather than in a separate window.

HOW IT LOOKS

One Input Method, Two Languages

Single-tap Shift flips between Chinese and English, and a small badge appears under your cursor so you always know where you are. Chinese is a normal pinyin IME running on your Mac. English is where the AI comes in.

Mail — new message EN

not yet, wo zai kaihui, will

Not yet, I am in a meeting, will

Not yet, I am in a meeting, will send them after lunch.

⇥Not yet, I am in a meeting, will ⇧⇥send them after lunch.

Pressed ⇥ — only the rewrite is committed, you keep typing Pressed ⇧⇥ — the continuation comes with it

pinyin dropped straight into the English line · ⇥ takes the rewrite only · ⇧⇥ takes the continuation with it · ⏎ commits what you typed

The rewrite only runs after you pause — timed to your own typing rhythm, roughly 0.3–1 second — and never mid-word.
CORE FEATURES

Built for People Who Write in Two Languages

01

Pinyin Mixed Into English

Type "i enter the chufang and" and PinYing understands it as one sentence. You never break your flow to look a word up — write the pinyin, keep going, and let the rewrite sort it out.

02

Rewrite and Continue

The suggestion does two jobs at once: it normalizes what you have written into natural English, and it carries the sentence a few words further so you can see where it is heading. The two are separate keys, so the continuation is never forced on you: ⇥ takes only the rewrite, ⇧⇥ takes both. (The two keys can be swapped in settings.)

03

A Real Pinyin IME

Chinese mode is not an afterthought. librime, the Luna Pinyin dictionary and the essay language model give you full-sentence input, phrases, abbreviations, fuzzy pinyin, paging and your own accumulated word frequencies — all on-device.

04

Shift to Switch, Double-Shift to Lock

A single tap on Shift flips Chinese and English, with a badge under the cursor showing which you are in. Double-tap Shift for pure ASCII: keys go straight to the app, with no composition and no AI at all — the mode to use for commands, passwords and code.

05

Quiet About Your Typing

Chinese input never leaves your Mac. In English mode only the sentence you are currently writing is sent, relayed through byutech.cn to DeepSeek; the server records usage, not sentences. Nothing is sent from password fields or while ASCII lock is on.

06

Updates Without Logging Out

PinYing checks for updates itself, downloads and verifies the package, and installs it on one click — no logout, unlike the first install. Uninstalling is one command that also removes your local data if you ask it to.

HOW IT WORKS

How PinYing Works

01

Type

Write your English sentence and drop pinyin in wherever a word will not come. No hotkey, no separate window, no switching apps.

02

Pause

Stop for a beat. PinYing reads your own typing rhythm to decide how long that pause is — roughly 0.3 to 1 second — and sends just that sentence for a rewrite. A new keystroke cancels the request.

03

Accept

The suggestion appears under your cursor as two runs — your sentence rewritten, then the continuation. ⇥ commits the rewrite alone, ⇧⇥ commits both, Enter commits exactly what you typed, Esc dismisses it.

USE CASES

Who PinYing Is For

Developers

Commit messages, code review comments, GitHub issues and Slack threads in English — written at the speed you think in Chinese, with ASCII lock a double-tap away for the terminal.

Students & Researchers

Emails to advisors, paper drafts and conference questions. Write the shape of the sentence, let the rewrite handle the article, tense and preposition you were unsure about.

Cross-border Teams

Daily English correspondence with colleagues and customers, without a translation tab open next to every message box.

Anyone Typing in Chinese

Even with the AI switched off, PinYing is a capable open-source pinyin input method that costs nothing and keeps everything on your Mac.

PRICING

What It Costs

Chinese Input

Free

The pinyin engine is free and works without an account.

  • Full-sentence and phrase pinyin input
  • Fuzzy pinyin, abbreviations, user word frequency
  • Runs entirely on your Mac
  • ASCII lock for pure English typing
Popular

PinYing Credits

¥12 / 6,000 credits

Credits are only spent on English rewrites. Sign in with WeChat and new accounts get 2,000 credits free.

  • New WeChat accounts get 2,000 credits
  • Charged per request, at cost plus a margin
  • Credits belong to your account, not your Mac
  • No subscription and no auto-renewal

Your Own DeepSeek Key

¥48 /yr

Unlock bring-your-own-key and PinYing talks to DeepSeek directly; you pay DeepSeek for tokens.

  • Your key is stored in the macOS keychain
  • No credits deducted while the key is active
  • Renewable at any time before or after expiry
  • Falls back to credits when it lapses
COMPARISON

PinYing vs Switching to a Translator

PinYing Input method + translator
Where you write In the field you are already typing in Copy out, paste back
Pinyin inside an English sentence Understood as one sentence Usually mistranslated
Chinese input Full pinyin IME, on-device A separate input method
Accepting a suggestion ⇥ rewrite · ⇧⇥ with continuation Select, copy, switch, paste
What leaves your Mac Only the sentence being written, in English mode Whole paragraphs
Password fields Nothing is sent Not applicable
0.3–1s Pause Before A Rewrite
20.9 MB Installer
100% Chinese Input On-device
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is PinYing?

PinYing is a macOS input method with two modes. Chinese mode is a normal pinyin IME running entirely on your Mac. English mode lets you mix pinyin into an English sentence; when you pause, AI rewrites the sentence into natural English and continues it. ⇥ accepts the rewrite of your own sentence, ⇧⇥ accepts the continuation with it, and Enter commits exactly what you typed.

Do I have to write correct English?

No — that is the point. Write the sentence the way it comes out, with pinyin standing in for any word you cannot recall, and the rewrite normalizes the whole line. If you prefer what you typed, press Enter and it is committed exactly as written.

Is my typing sent to the cloud?

Chinese input is completely on-device and nothing is sent. In English mode, only the sentence you are currently writing is relayed through byutech.cn to DeepSeek for the rewrite; the server records usage, not the text of your sentences. Nothing at all is sent from password fields, or while ASCII lock (double-tap Shift) is on.

What does PinYing cost?

Chinese input is free. English rewrites run on credits: ¥12 buys 6,000 credits, and new accounts that sign in with WeChat get 2,000 credits for free. Alternatively, ¥48 per year unlocks using your own DeepSeek key, in which case PinYing talks to DeepSeek directly and no credits are deducted. There is no subscription.

What are the system requirements?

PinYing requires macOS 14.0 or later and runs natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. The installer is a signed and notarized .pkg of about 20.9 MB.

How do I install it?

Open the .pkg and follow the installer, then log out and back in — macOS only picks up a new input method at login. Then choose PinYing from the input menu in the menu bar, or add it under System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Edit → + → Chinese, Simplified.

How do I uninstall it?

Run sudo "/Library/Input Methods/PinYingIME.app/Contents/Resources/uninstall.sh" in Terminal. It switches you back to a system layout, removes the input source and deletes the app. Add --purge to the same command to also delete your local dictionary, settings, logs and account data.

Is there an iOS version?

A PinYing keyboard for iPhone and iPad is in App Store review — the same mixed pinyin-and-English typing in a third-party keyboard. This page will link to it as soon as it is available.

Stop Switching Languages

Download PinYing for macOS, or wait a little for the iOS keyboard.

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