Paste Chinese or Cantonese, get Jyutping under each character, and export a study sheet — that is the job this page is for. Optional Yale or pinyin, an English translation, and PDF, DOCX, or Markdown out. Traditional Chinese is the preferred script for Cantonese here; Simplified input still works.
What you get
- Jyutping aligned under every character — word-aware readings, not a flat per-character lookup table.
- Switch to Yale, Yale with tone numbers, or Mandarin pinyin when your materials use those instead.
- Export a study sheet as PDF, DOCX, or Markdown, with an optional translation underneath.
- Start from a photo or a scan: OCR extracts the text, then the same converter runs on it.
Mini example
A static sample of what the converter produces — not a second app. Tone digits 1–6 sit after each syllable:
| Cantonese | Jyutping |
|---|---|
| 你好 | nei5 hou2 |
| 唔該 | m4 goi1 |
| 香港 | hoeng1 gong2 |
These three rows come from the same converter the live tool uses. Paste your own text on the homepage to get a full sheet with translation and export options.
How this differs from annotating by hand
The how-to guide on adding Jyutping is about understanding word-aware readings and checking a converter. This page is the paste → Jyutping tool itself: one deep link opens the live form already set to Jyutping, English translation, and the study-sheet layout.
If you are choosing between romanization schemes rather than converting text, start with the Jyutping vs Yale comparison instead — that page is the side-by-side, not a converter.
Jyutping vs Yale (short)
Jyutping marks tone with a digit 1–6 after the syllable; Yale uses diacritics and an inserted h for the lower register. 香港 is hoeng1 gong2 in Jyutping and hēung góng in Yale. Neither is more correct — pick what your materials use. The full side-by-side lives on the Jyutping vs Yale guide; this converter defaults to Jyutping and lets you switch.
Formatted Chinese
This converter is Formatted Chinese — the same engine behind the homepage tool, the Obsidian plugin, and the Telegram bot. Free to try; check anything you rely on while it is in beta.
Common questions
- Is this a Jyutping converter?
- Yes. Paste Chinese or Cantonese text and Jyutping is the default romanization, aligned under each character.
- Can I use Yale or pinyin instead?
- Yes. Switch the romanization control to Yale, Yale with tone numbers, or Mandarin pinyin — same paste, same export options.
- Does it translate?
- Optionally. Several target languages are available; the deep link from this page turns English translation on with the study-sheet layout.
- Can I export a study sheet?
- Yes — PDF to print, DOCX to keep editing, or Markdown for notes.
- Do I need an API key for the Obsidian plugin?
- No for basic use. The listing copy is clear: install and enable, and you get the same free daily allowance as an anonymous website visitor. An API key from a free account only raises that limit.