The Chinese character candidate window does not appear when typing Traditional Chinese on Windows 11

sooyeon oh 0 Reputation points
2026-10-05T14:18:14.53+00:00

The Chinese character candidate window does not appear when I type Traditional Chinese on Windows 11.

I have tried restarting my computer and removing and reinstalling the keyboard, but the issue persists. When I type using Bopomofo, only the Bopomofo symbols appear, and no Chinese character candidates are displayed.

However, the candidate window works normally when I use Simplified Chinese.

Could you please advise me on how to resolve this issue?

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Windows for home | Windows 11 | Input and language
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  1. TaoLi 114.9K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-05T15:40:24.43+00:00

    Hi, since reinstalling the keyboard didn’t help, please try the previous-version compatibility setting.

    Switch to Microsoft Bopomofo, then right-click the 中 icon on the taskbar >> Settings >> General >> turn on Use previous version of Microsoft Bopomofo.

    Reopen Notepad, type a complete syllable such as ㄋㄧˇ, then press Down arrow to check whether the candidates appear.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-05T14:18:31.15+00:00

    Try these steps in order:

    1. Verify that Microsoft Bopomofo is the active keyboard.
      • Go to Start > Settings > Time & language > Language & region.
      • Next to the Traditional Chinese language, select ... > Language options.
      • Under Keyboards, confirm Microsoft Bopomofo is present.
      • If it is missing, select Add a keyboard and add Microsoft Bopomofo.
    2. Remove any unexpected keyboard layouts under that Traditional Chinese language.
      • In the same Language options page, under Keyboards, remove any unrelated keyboards.
      • Then sign out of Windows and sign in again.
    3. Open the Bopomofo IME settings and check input assistance.
      • Right-click the IME options icon in the taskbar/system tray and select Settings.
      • In Bopomofo settings, make sure input assistance options are enabled, especially Prompt associated phrases of the input characters.
    4. Test candidate selection behavior.
      • With Chinese (Traditional, Hong Kong SAR) and Microsoft Bopomofo active, type the Bopomofo symbols for a word.
      • Press the Down arrow key to open the conversion candidate window.
      • In that window:
        • Up/Down moves through candidates
        • Enter selects the focused candidate
        • Number keys select a candidate directly
        • Spacebar moves to the next page
        • Tab expands the list
        • Esc closes the window
    5. If the issue happens in apps such as Excel, use the temporary IME compatibility workaround.
      • Go to the IME settings for Traditional Chinese Bopomofo.
      • Select General.
      • Under Compatibility, turn on Use previous version of Microsoft IME.
      • This is a temporary workaround, not a long-term recommendation.

    If the candidate window still does not appear after reinstalling the keyboard, the most relevant documented fix is to re-add Microsoft Bopomofo, remove unexpected keyboards, and then sign out and back in.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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