Typing French (AZERTY) on a QWERTY keyboard
Keyforge keyboards come in QWERTY for now. If you are used to the French AZERTY layout, don’t worry: you can type perfect French on a QWERTY keyboard, accents included. There are two ways to go about it.
QWERTY versus AZERTY: what really changes
A keyboard does not send letters, it sends key positions. Your system (Windows, macOS) decides which character each key produces. The difference between QWERTY and AZERTY therefore comes down mostly to the legends and a few positions: A and Q swapped, Z and W too, M to the right of L on AZERTY, and numbers available without Shift on QWERTY.
What QWERTY really lacks are the accent keys: é, è, à, ç, ù. You type them with combinations — a matter of a few days.
On a Mac: hold the key, or use Option
With the ABC layout (System Settings › Keyboard › Input Sources), hold a letter down: a small window offers its accents, just type the number shown. To go faster, use the Option key combinations:
| Character | Combination |
|---|---|
| é | Option + E, then E |
| è, à, ù | Option + `, then the letter |
| ê, â, î, ô | Option + I, then the letter |
| ë, ï | Option + U, then the letter |
| ç | Option + C |
| œ | Option + Q |
| « » | Option + \ and Option + Shift + \ |
| € | Option + Shift + 2 |
On Windows: the international layout
Add the United States-International keyboard: Settings › Time & language › Language & region › your language › Language options › Add a keyboard. Switch between layouts with Windows + Space. Some keys become dead keys: on their own they type nothing, they accent the next letter.
| Character | Combination |
|---|---|
| é | ', then E |
| è, à, ù | `, then the letter |
| ê, â, î, ô | ^ (Shift + 6), then the letter |
| ë, ï | " (Shift + '), then the letter |
| ç | ', then C |
| € | AltGr + 5 |
Or: set your system to AZERTY
If you have touch-typed on AZERTY for years, simply keep the French layout in your system: every key will type its AZERTY character. Only the legends will no longer match — A is typed on the key marked Q, M on the one marked “;”.
One limit: most QWERTY keyboards are ANSI, without AZERTY’s < > key. You will need to remap it, for example with PowerToys on Windows or Karabiner-Elements on a Mac. The keyboard sizes guide explains ANSI and ISO.
Shortcuts and games
On QWERTY, shortcuts follow the legends: Ctrl (or ⌘) + A selects all, + Z undoes, + W closes the tab. That last one sits where your Z used to be: take care for the first few days.
For gaming, it is a real advantage: movement uses WASD by default, nothing to set up. Programming symbols — [ ] { } / \ — are also easier to reach than on AZERTY, which is why many French developers type on QWERTY.
Which option to choose
- You look at your keys while typing: stay on QWERTY and learn the accent combinations. The legends tell the truth.
- You touch-type on AZERTY: set your system to AZERTY, the legends will not bother you.
- You game or code: QWERTY is an asset.