Making Special Characters in German

To Make German Special Characters On a Pc (Windows machine)

1. Hold the ALT key down while you type the corresponding 3 or 4 digit number (see below) on the number pad.
2. Make sure Num Lock is on.

Example: to get ä, hold down the Alt key, type in 132.

To get this letter:	Hold down the Alt key and type the number.	Example	Meaning
ä	Alt + 132	Bär	bear
ö	Alt + 148	Eichhörnchen	squirrel
ü	Alt + 129	hübsch	pretty
ß	Alt + 225	heiß	hot
Ä	Alt + 142	Äpfel	apples
Ö	Alt + 153	Öl	oil
Ü	Alt + 154	Übermensch	superhuman being
€	Alt + 0128	150 €	150 Euros (money)

To Make German Special Characters with a Mac

To get this letter:	1. Hold down the Option key while you type the letter.	2. Release both keys and then type:	Example	Meaning
ä	Option + u	a	Bär	bear
ö	Option + u	o	Eichhörnchen	squirrel
ü	Option + u	u	hübsch	pretty
Ä	Option + u	A	Äpfel	apples
Ö	Option + u	O	Öl	oil
Ü	Option + u	U	Übermensch	superhuman being
ß	Option +	s	heiß	hot
€	Option +	shift 2	150 €	150 Euros

Remember: Umlauts are very important in German. They serve two purposes:

1. They indicate a difference in meaning. Example: "schon" means already and "schön" means pretty.
2. They make a difference in pronunciation.

Weiter: Introduction