Vim Scoops / Lessons / Move around
How to move around in Vim
In Normal mode, h moves left, j down, k up and l right. Type a number first to repeat a move: 5j goes down five lines.
The keys
| Keys | What they do |
|---|---|
| h | Left one character |
| j | Down one line |
| k | Up one line |
| l | Right one character |
4l, 3j | Same moves, repeated with a count |
The four keys sit under your right hand, so you never reach for the arrow keys. If you keep mixing them up, j has a tail that points down.
Counts are where it starts to pay off. Instead of tapping j eight times, read the distance and type 8j. With :set relativenumber on, Vim shows you the distance to every line.
Related
Want all of Vim, in order? Vim Scoops is a free game that starts at h j k l and builds up to macros.
Play the full game