When trading Forex, you may need to switch between EUR, GBP, JPY, CNY in a second. If you’re not familiar with the English representations of currency symbols and how they are expressed in different countries, it’s easy to get confused during rapid trading. The core value of currency symbols lies in “speed” — writing $40 is much faster than writing “40 US dollars.” In high-frequency trading environments, this visual quick recognition directly impacts trading efficiency.
When you see the € symbol on the chart, you can instantly identify EUR/USD or EUR/JPY; seeing ¥ requires context to determine whether it’s RMB or Yen. Mastering these details allows you to navigate the global Forex market with ease.
Global Mainstream Currency Symbols Quick Reference Table
Below is a comparison table of the most commonly encountered currency symbols in Forex trading:
Continent
Country
Currency Name
Currency Code
Currency Symbol
Americas
USA
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
Yen
JPY
¥
Singapore
Singapore Dollar
SGD
$
Korea
Korean Won
KRW
₩
India
Rupee
INR
₹
Indonesia
Indonesian Rupiah
IDR
Rp
Malaysia
Malaysian Ringgit
MYR
RM
Philippines
Philippine Peso
PHP
₱
Thailand
Thai Baht
THB
฿
Vietnam
Vietnamese Dong
VND
₫
Oceania
Australia
Australian Dollar
AUD
$
New Zealand
New Zealand Dollar
NZD
$
Europe
UK
Pound Sterling
GBP
£
Eurozone
Euro
EUR
€
Russia
Russian Ruble
RUB
₽
Ukraine
Ukrainian Hryvnia
UAH
₴
Turkey
Turkish Lira
TRY
₺
Middle East & Africa
UAE
UAE Dirham
AED
د.إ
Israel
Israeli Shekel
ILS
₪
Nigeria
Naira
NGN
₦
Kenya
Kenyan Shilling
KES
Ksh
South Africa
South African Rand
ZAR
R
Quick Input Tips | Mac and Windows Shortcut Keys Overview
Trading hours are tight; manually typing symbols can slow you down. Here are quick input methods for common currency symbols:
Currency
Code
Symbol
Mac Shortcut
Windows Shortcut
Euro
EUR
€
Shift+Option+2
Alt+E
Pound
GBP
£
Option+3
Alt+L
USD
USD
$
Shift+4
Shift+4
Yen
JPY
¥
Option+Y
Directly type ¥
Tip: On Windows, memorizing “Alt+E” for Euro and “Alt+L” for Pound can save a lot of time.
Beware of Pitfalls | Confusing Currency Symbols
¥ Symbol’s Dual Identity
The “¥” symbol represents different currencies in different markets, which is a common mistake for Forex beginners:
In Japan, it stands for Yen (JPY)
In China, it stands for Renminbi (CNY)
To avoid confusion, the standard practice is to add the currency code: CNY¥100 (100 RMB) or JPY¥100 (100 Yen).
$ Symbol Used Worldwide
The seemingly simple “$” symbol is used by over 30 countries and regions. Common ways to distinguish include:
Currency Name
Symbol Distinction
Usage Scenario
US Dollar
US$
Default for international transactions
New Taiwan Dollar
NT$
Taiwan market
Canadian Dollar
C$
Canadian market
Brazilian Real
R$
Brazil market
Hong Kong Dollar
HK$
Hong Kong market
Singapore Dollar
S$
Singapore market
Australian Dollar
A$
Australia market
New Zealand Dollar
NZ$
New Zealand market
In international Forex trading, if not specifically marked, “$” generally defaults to USD.
฿ Symbol’s Dual Usage
The “฿” symbol can cause confusion:
In Forex, it represents Thai Baht
In Crypto, it indicates Bitcoin
Always interpret based on context.
Forex Currency Pairs in Practice
What is a currency pair?
A Forex currency pair indicates the exchange rate between two different currencies. Common major pairs include:
EUR/USD: Euro vs US Dollar
GBP/JPY: Pound Sterling vs Japanese Yen
AUD/USD: Australian Dollar vs US Dollar
How to Read Currency Pairs
Take USD/GBP as an example:
Base currency (front): USD (US Dollar)
Quote currency (back): GBP (Pound Sterling)
Meaning: How many GBP for 1 USD
Traders buy or sell one currency to exchange for another, seeking profit from exchange rate fluctuations.
Trading Example
Suppose you see on the chart EUR/USD = 1.0850, meaning 1 Euro (€) equals 1.0850 USD ($). If you expect the Euro to appreciate, you buy EUR/USD; if you expect it to depreciate, you sell the pair.
Mastering currency symbols, English representations, and country codes helps you quickly locate and trade accurately in the global Forex market. It’s recommended to keep this table handy and review regularly so that symbol recognition becomes instinctive.
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Forex Trading Must-Know | Global Currency Symbols and Their English Counterparts, Recognize 30+ Currencies in One Second
Why Do Traders Need to Master Currency Symbols?
When trading Forex, you may need to switch between EUR, GBP, JPY, CNY in a second. If you’re not familiar with the English representations of currency symbols and how they are expressed in different countries, it’s easy to get confused during rapid trading. The core value of currency symbols lies in “speed” — writing $40 is much faster than writing “40 US dollars.” In high-frequency trading environments, this visual quick recognition directly impacts trading efficiency.
When you see the € symbol on the chart, you can instantly identify EUR/USD or EUR/JPY; seeing ¥ requires context to determine whether it’s RMB or Yen. Mastering these details allows you to navigate the global Forex market with ease.
Global Mainstream Currency Symbols Quick Reference Table
Below is a comparison table of the most commonly encountered currency symbols in Forex trading:
Quick Input Tips | Mac and Windows Shortcut Keys Overview
Trading hours are tight; manually typing symbols can slow you down. Here are quick input methods for common currency symbols:
Tip: On Windows, memorizing “Alt+E” for Euro and “Alt+L” for Pound can save a lot of time.
Beware of Pitfalls | Confusing Currency Symbols
¥ Symbol’s Dual Identity
The “¥” symbol represents different currencies in different markets, which is a common mistake for Forex beginners:
To avoid confusion, the standard practice is to add the currency code: CNY¥100 (100 RMB) or JPY¥100 (100 Yen).
$ Symbol Used Worldwide
The seemingly simple “$” symbol is used by over 30 countries and regions. Common ways to distinguish include:
In international Forex trading, if not specifically marked, “$” generally defaults to USD.
฿ Symbol’s Dual Usage
The “฿” symbol can cause confusion:
Always interpret based on context.
Forex Currency Pairs in Practice
What is a currency pair?
A Forex currency pair indicates the exchange rate between two different currencies. Common major pairs include:
How to Read Currency Pairs
Take USD/GBP as an example:
Traders buy or sell one currency to exchange for another, seeking profit from exchange rate fluctuations.
Trading Example
Suppose you see on the chart EUR/USD = 1.0850, meaning 1 Euro (€) equals 1.0850 USD ($). If you expect the Euro to appreciate, you buy EUR/USD; if you expect it to depreciate, you sell the pair.
Mastering currency symbols, English representations, and country codes helps you quickly locate and trade accurately in the global Forex market. It’s recommended to keep this table handy and review regularly so that symbol recognition becomes instinctive.