In Normal mode, we compose commands by typing one or more keystrokes in sequence. There commands appear as follows:

Most of these sequences involve two or three keystrokes, but some are longer. Deciphering the meaning of Vim’s Normal mode command sequences can be challenging, but you’ll get better at it with practice.

When you see a keystroke such as <C-p>, it doesn’t mean "Press <, then C, then -, and so on." The <C-p> notation is equivalent to Ctrl-p, which means "Press the Ctrl and p keys at the same time" Some of Vim’s commands are formed by combining chords and keystrokes in sequence, and this notation handles them well. Consider these examples:

Some commands must be followed by a particular kind of keystroke, while other command can be followed by any key on the keyboard. I use curly braces to denote the set of valid keystrokes that can follow a command.

Here are some examples:

Some keys are called by name. This table shows a selection of them:

Note that the space bar is represented as  . This could be combined with the f{char} command to form f .