I only recently realized that currency symbols are so complicated—especially the ones that are easy to mix up. For example, the $ symbol: we usually think it stands for US dollars, but in fact more than 30 countries use it, such as Canada, Australia, and Singapore—all of which use $. No wonder it’s easy to get confused during forex trading. That’s why distinctions like US$, C$, and A$ exist.

The ￥ symbol is also used differently. Japan uses it to represent Japanese yen, while China uses it for renminbi. To distinguish them, you can write CNY￥ or JPY￥. The euro symbol € is relatively clearer, but it also appears quite frequently in the forex market, because currency pairs like EUR/USD have very large trading volumes.

Most interesting of all is the ฿ symbol. In forex, it represents the Thai baht, but in the cryptocurrency world, it’s the symbol for Bitcoin. The same symbol, two different worlds.

If you want to enter these symbols quickly, there’s a bit of technique involved. On Mac, to input the euro symbol, use Shift+option+2; for US dollars, just use Shift+4. On Windows, use Alt+E to type the euro symbol, and Alt+L for the British pound. Knowing these shortcuts is also very convenient for people who often trade forex.

Speaking of it, the biggest role of currency symbols is quick recognition. Writing $40 is much more concise than writing 40 US dollar. In forex trading, when you see EUR/USD, you know it means the euro against the US dollar; GBP/JPY is the British pound against the Japanese yen. The one in front is the base currency, and the one after is the quote currency. Once you understand this logic, looking at each country’s currency symbols won’t feel so chaotic anymore.