Forex Trading Must-Know: Quick Reference Guide to Global Currency Symbols and Keyboard Input Tips

ser_ngmi · 2026-01-15T13:18:02+00:00

Traders mastering the currency symbols of various countries is crucial, as it can accelerate decision-making and reduce errors. The article lists major currencies and their symbols, and points out that some symbols like "￥" and "$" have multiple meanings in different countries. Finally, it provides shortcut tools to improve input efficiency and emphasizes the significance and importance of currency pairs.

ser_ngmi

2026-01-15 13:18:02

Abstract generation in progress

Why Do Traders Need to Master Currency Symbols of Different Countries?

In the forex market, quickly identifying currencies is crucial. When traders see the euro symbol (€) and the US dollar symbol ($) appearing together in a quote, they need to immediately determine the direction of the trading pair—such as EUR/USD (Euro to US Dollar) or GBP/USD (British Pound to US Dollar). Mastering the currency symbols of various countries not only accelerates trading decisions but also effectively prevents identification errors during trading.

The core function of currency symbols is actually very simple—they are a globally recognized visual identification system. Writing “$100” is far more efficient than “100 US dollars,” especially in high-frequency trading and real-time market data streams.

Overview of Major Forex Trading Currency Symbols

Below are the common major currencies and their corresponding symbols in the global forex market:

Region	Country	Currency Name	Currency Code	Symbol
Americas	United States	US Dollar	USD	$
	Canada	Canadian Dollar	CAD	$
	Brazil	Brazilian Real	BRL	R$
Asia	China	Renminbi	CNY	￥ / 元
	Taiwan	New Taiwan Dollar	TWD	NT$
	Hong Kong	Hong Kong Dollar	HKD	$ / HK$
	Japan	Japanese Yen	JPY	¥
	Singapore	Singapore Dollar	SGD	$
	South Korea	South Korean Won	KRW	₩
	India	Indian Rupee	INR	₹
	Thailand	Thai Baht	THB	฿
	Vietnam	Vietnamese Dong	VND	₫
Oceania	Australia	Australian Dollar	AUD	A$
	New Zealand	New Zealand Dollar	NZD	NZ$
Europe	United Kingdom	British Pound	GBP	£
	Eurozone	Euro	EUR	€
	Russia	Russian Ruble	RUB	₽
	Turkey	Turkish Lira	TRY	₺
Middle East & Africa	UAE	UAE Dirham	AED	د.إ
	Israel	Israeli Shekel	ILS	₪
	South Africa	South African Rand	ZAR	R

Commonly Confused Currency Symbols

￥ The Dual Identity of the Yen Symbol

The “￥” symbol represents different currencies in various Asian countries, which is a common source of errors in forex trading:

In China, ￥100 = 100 Renminbi (CNY)
In Japan, ￥100 = 100 Yen (JPY)

To clearly distinguish, industry standard is to add the code before the symbol: CNY￥100 for Renminbi, JPY￥100 for Yen.

$ The Global Usage of the Dollar Sign

The “$” symbol appears to be exclusive to the US dollar, but in fact, over 30 countries use it. In forex documents, a prefix is necessary to differentiate:

Currency	Distinguishing Method
US Dollar	US$
New Taiwan Dollar	NT$
Canadian Dollar	C$
Brazilian Real	R$
Hong Kong Dollar	HK$
Singapore Dollar	S$
Australian Dollar	A$
New Zealand Dollar	NZ$

฿ The Dual Role of the Baht Symbol

“฿” traditionally represents the Thai Baht (THB) in forex markets, but in the cryptocurrency realm, the same symbol is used for Bitcoin. Traders need to interpret based on context.

How to Quickly Input Currency Symbols on the Keyboard?

Whether for report creation or filling out trading forms, mastering shortcut keys can greatly improve efficiency. Here are common methods to input currency symbols:

Mac System Input Methods

Currency	Code	Symbol	Shortcut
Euro	EUR	€	Shift + Option + 2
Pound Sterling	GBP	£	Option + 3
US Dollar	USD	$	Shift + 4
Yen	JPY	¥	Option + Y

Windows System Input Methods

Currency	Code	Symbol	Shortcut
Euro	EUR	€	Alt + E
Pound Sterling	GBP	£	Alt + L
US Dollar	USD	$	Shift + 4

Actual Meaning of Forex Currency Pairs

In the forex market, currency pairs represent the exchange rate between two currencies. For example, USD/GBP:

USD (the first) = base currency
GBP (the second) = quote currency
Meaning = how many units of GBP one US dollar can buy

Similarly, common currency pairs include EUR/USD (Euro to US Dollar), GBP/JPY (British Pound to Japanese Yen). Traders buy or sell one currency to exchange for another, seeking profit from the price difference.

Mastering currency symbols and code systems is fundamental for becoming a professional forex trader. Whether reading market reports, filling out trading forms, or quickly identifying trading pairs, correct use of symbols makes your trading process smoother and more efficient.

CAD1,57%

View Original

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.