Vim Shortcuts for Linux

Move left

H

Move right

L

Move to the first character of the line

0

Move to the first non-blank character of the line

Shift+6

Move to the last character of the line

Shift+4

Move to the first character of the screen lineDiffers from 0 when the line wraps.

G,0

Move to the first non-blank character of the screen lineDiffers from the first-non-blank motion when the line wraps.

G,Shift+6

Move to the last character of the screen lineDiffers from the end-of-line motion when the line wraps.

G,Shift+4

Move to the middle of the screen line

G,M

Move to the middle of the line

G,Shift+M

Jump to a specific columnType a count first, e.g. 10| jumps to column 10.

Shift+\

Jump to the next occurrence of a characterPress f, then the target character.

F

Jump to the previous occurrence of a characterPress F, then the target character.

Shift+F

Jump before the next occurrence of a characterPress t, then the target character.

T

Jump before the previous occurrence of a characterPress T, then the target character.

Shift+T

Repeat the last f, F, t, or T search

;

Repeat the last f, F, t, or T search, opposite direction

,

Move up

K

Move down

J

Move up, to the first non-blank character

-

Move down, to the first non-blank character

Shift+=

Move down N-1 lines, to the first non-blank character

Shift+-

Go to a line (default is the last line)

Shift+G

Go to a line (default is the first line)

G,G

Go to a percentage through the fileType a count first, e.g. 50% goes halfway through the file.

Shift+5

Move up a screen lineDiffers from k when the line wraps.

G,K

Move down a screen lineDiffers from j when the line wraps.

G,J

Move forward a word

W

Move forward a WORDA WORD is separated by whitespace only, and can contain punctuation.

Shift+W

Move forward to the end of a word

E

Move forward to the end of a WORD

Shift+E

Move backward a word

B

Move backward a WORD

Shift+B

Move backward to the end of a word

G,E

Move backward to the end of a WORD

G,Shift+E

Move forward a sentence

Shift+0

Move backward a sentence

Shift+9

Move forward a paragraph

Shift+]

Move backward a paragraph

Shift+[

Move forward to the start of the next section

],]

Move backward to the start of the previous section

[,[

Move forward to the end of a section

],[

Move backward to the end of the previous section

[,]

Search forwardType the pattern, then press Enter.

/

Search backwardType the pattern, then press Enter.

Shift+/

Repeat the last search

N

Repeat the last search, opposite direction

Shift+N

Search forward for the word under the cursor

Shift+8

Search backward for the word under the cursor

Shift+3

Search forward for the word under the cursor, matching part of it too

G,Shift+8

Search backward for the word under the cursor, matching part of it too

G,Shift+3

Go to the local declaration of the identifier under the cursor

G,D

Go to the global declaration of the identifier under the cursor

G,Shift+D

Set a mark at the cursor positionPress m, then a letter to name the mark.

M

Jump to a mark's exact positionPress the backtick key, then the mark's letter.

`

Jump to a mark's line, at its first non-blank characterPress ', then the mark's letter.

'

Jump to the position before the last jump

`,`

Jump to the position when the file was last edited

`,Shift+'

Jump to the position of the last change

`,.

Jump to the start of the last change or put

`,[

Jump to the end of the last change or put

`,]

Jump to the start of the last Visual selection

`,Shift+,

Jump to the end of the last Visual selection

`,Shift+.

Go to an older position in the jump list

Ctrl+O

Go to a newer position in the jump list

Ctrl+I

Jump to the tag under the cursor

Ctrl+]

Jump back from an older tag

Ctrl+T

Scroll the window down one line

Ctrl+E

Scroll the window up one line

Ctrl+Y

Scroll the window down half a page

Ctrl+D

Scroll the window up half a page

Ctrl+U

Scroll the window down a full page

Ctrl+F

Scroll the window up a full page

Ctrl+B

Redraw, current line at the top of the window

Z,T

Redraw, current line at the center of the window

Z,Z

Redraw, current line at the bottom of the window

Z,B

Scroll the screen right

Z,H

with 'wrap' off

Scroll the screen left

Z,L

with 'wrap' off

Scroll the screen half a screen-width right

Z,Shift+H

with 'wrap' off

Scroll the screen half a screen-width left

Z,Shift+L

with 'wrap' off

Insert text before the cursor

I

Insert text before the first non-blank character of the line

Shift+I

Append text after the cursor

A

Append text at the end of the line

Shift+A

Insert text in column 1

G,Shift+I

Open a new line below the current line and insert text

O

Open a new line above the current line and insert text

Shift+O

End Insert mode, back to Normal mode

Esc

End Insert mode without triggering an abbreviation

Ctrl+C

Execute one command, then return to Insert mode

Ctrl+O

Move one word left or right

Shift+Left

or

Shift+Right

Move one screenful backward or forward

Shift+Up

or

Shift+Down

Move the cursor after the last character in the line

End

Move the cursor to the first character in the line

Home

Insert a character literally, or a decimal byte value

Ctrl+V

Begin a new line

Enter

Insert the character from the line below the cursor

Ctrl+E

Insert the character from the line above the cursor

Ctrl+Y

Insert previously inserted text

Ctrl+A

Insert the contents of a registerPress Ctrl+R, then the register's letter.

Ctrl+R

Insert the next matching completion of the identifier before the cursor

Ctrl+N

Insert the previous matching completion of the identifier before the cursor

Ctrl+P

Delete the character before the cursor

Bksp

Delete the character under the cursor

Del

Delete the word before the cursor

Ctrl+W

Delete all entered characters on the current line

Ctrl+U

Insert one shiftwidth of indent in front of the current line

Ctrl+T

Delete one shiftwidth of indent in front of the current line

Ctrl+D

Delete all indent in the current line

0,Ctrl+D

Delete all indent in the current line, restore it on the next line

Shift+6,Ctrl+D

Delete the character under and after the cursor

X

Delete the character before the cursor

Shift+X

Delete the text covered by a motionPress d, then a motion, e.g. dw deletes to the next word.

D

Delete the current line

D,D

Delete to the end of the line

Shift+D

Join the current line with the next

Shift+J

Join the current line with the next, without adding a space

G,Shift+J

Select a register for the next delete, yank, or putPress the double-quote character, then the register's letter.

Shift+'

Yank the text covered by a motion into a registerPress y, then a motion, e.g. yw yanks to the next word.

Y

Yank the current line into a register

Y,Y

Put a register after the cursor

P

Put a register before the cursor

Shift+P

Put a register after the cursor, adjusting the indent

],P

Put a register before the cursor, adjusting the indent

[,P

Put a register after the cursor, leave the cursor after the new text

G,P

Put a register before the cursor, leave the cursor after the new text

G,Shift+P

Replace a single characterPress r, then the replacement character.

R

Enter Replace mode

Shift+R

Change the text covered by a motionPress c, then a motion, e.g. cw changes to the next word.

C

Change the current line

C,C

Change to the end of the line

Shift+C

Switch the case of a character

Shift+`

Switch the case of the text covered by a motionPress g~, then a motion, or use in Visual mode.

G,Shift+`

Make the text covered by a motion lowercasePress gu, then a motion, or use in Visual mode.

G,U

Make the text covered by a motion uppercasePress gU, then a motion, or use in Visual mode.

G,Shift+U

Perform rot13 encoding on the text covered by a motionPress g?, then a motion, or use in Visual mode.

G,Shift+/

Add to the number at or after the cursor

Ctrl+A

Subtract from the number at or after the cursor

Ctrl+X

Move lines one shiftwidth leftPress <, then a motion, e.g. << shifts the current line.

Shift+,

Move the current line one shiftwidth left

Shift+,,Shift+,

Move lines one shiftwidth rightPress >, then a motion, e.g. >> shifts the current line.

Shift+.

Move the current line one shiftwidth right

Shift+.,Shift+.

Start highlighting characters

V

Start highlighting whole lines

Shift+V

Start highlighting a block

Ctrl+V

Exchange the cursor position with the start of highlighting

O

Resume the last Visual selection

G,V

Only meaningful in Visual mode or right after an operator, e.g. daw deletes a word.

A word

A,W

Inner word

I,W

A WORD

A,Shift+W

Inner WORD

I,Shift+W

A sentence

A,S

Inner sentence

I,S

A paragraph

A,P

Inner paragraph

I,P

A parenthesized block

A,B

Inner parenthesized block

I,B

A brace block

A,Shift+B

Inner brace block

I,Shift+B

A tag block

A,T

Inner tag block

I,T

A single-quoted string

A,'

Inner single-quoted string

I,'

A backward-quoted string

A,`

Inner backward-quoted string

I,`

A <> block

A,Shift+.

Inner <> block

I,Shift+.

A double-quoted string

A,Shift+'

Inner double-quoted string

I,Shift+'

Repeat the last change

.

Record typed characters into a registerPress q, then a letter to name the register (a capital letter appends instead of overwriting). Press q again to stop.

Q

Execute the contents of a registerPress @, then the register's letter.

Shift+2

Repeat the previous register execution

Shift+2,Shift+2

Undo the last change

U

Redo the last undone change

Ctrl+R

Restore the last changed line

Shift+U

Clear and redraw the screen

Ctrl+L

Show the current file name and cursor position

Ctrl+G

Show the ASCII value of the character under the cursor

G,A

Show the UTF-8 byte sequence for the character under the cursor

G,8

Show the cursor's column, line, and character position

G,Ctrl+G

Look up the keyword under the cursor

Shift+K

Switch to Ex mode

Shift+Q

Edit the file named under the cursor

G,F

Abandon the command line

Esc

Insert a character literally

Ctrl+V

Insert the contents of a registerPress Ctrl+R, then the register's letter.

Ctrl+R

Move the cursor one word left or right

Shift+Left

or

Shift+Right

Move the cursor to the beginning of the command line

Ctrl+B

Move the cursor to the end of the command line

Ctrl+E

Delete the character before the cursor

Bksp

Delete the character under the cursor

Del

Delete the word before the cursor

Ctrl+W

Remove all characters on the command line

Ctrl+U

Recall an older command line starting with the current text

Up

Recall a newer command line starting with the current text

Down

Recall an older command line from history

Shift+Up

Recall a newer command line from history

Shift+Down

Complete the pattern in front of the cursor

Tab

List all names matching the pattern in front of the cursor

Ctrl+D

Split the window

Ctrl+W,S

Create a new empty window

Ctrl+W,N

Quit editing and close the window

Ctrl+W,Q

Make the buffer hidden and close the window

Ctrl+W,C

Make the current window the only one on the screen

Ctrl+W,O

Move the cursor to the window below

Ctrl+W,J

Move the cursor to the window above

Ctrl+W,K

Move the cursor to the next window

Ctrl+W,Ctrl+W

Move the cursor to the top window

Ctrl+W,T

Move the cursor to the bottom window

Ctrl+W,B

Move the cursor to the previous active window

Ctrl+W,P

Rotate windows downwards

Ctrl+W,R

Rotate windows upwards

Ctrl+W,Shift+R

Exchange the current window with the next one

Ctrl+W,X

Make all windows equal height and width

Ctrl+W,=

Decrease the current window height

Ctrl+W,-

Increase the current window height

Ctrl+W,Shift+=

Set the current window height

Ctrl+W,Shift+-

Decrease the current window width

Ctrl+W,Shift+,

Increase the current window width

Ctrl+W,Shift+.

Set the current window width

Ctrl+W,Shift+\

Define a fold manuallyPress zf, then a motion to cover the lines.

Z,F

Delete one fold under the cursor

Z,D

Delete all folds under the cursor

Z,Shift+D

Open one fold under the cursor

Z,O

Open all folds under the cursor

Z,Shift+O

Close one fold under the cursor

Z,C

Close all folds under the cursor

Z,Shift+C

Decrease the fold level

Z,M

Close all folds

Z,Shift+M

Increase the fold level

Z,R

Open all folds

Z,Shift+R

Disable folding

Z,N

Enable folding

Z,Shift+N

Toggle folding

Z,I

Write the current file

":w"

Write the current file and exit

":wq"

Write the current file and exit (shorthand)

Shift+Z,Shift+Z

Quit the current windowFails if there are unsaved changes.

":q"

Quit the current window, discarding changes

Shift+Z,Shift+Q

Exit Vim, unless changes have been made

":qa"

Exit Vim, discarding all changes

":qa!"