To provide an external state discrimination type character input device and a character input method capable of inputting characters with small number of character input keys and small number of key strokes.

An electronic device 1 is provide with an electronic device body part 20 and a character input device 10 and the character input device 10 is provided with a keyboard 12 to output key stroke information 53 by a key stroke operation 51, a key stroke finger discrimination signal generating part 14 to be worn by an operator and to generate a key stroke finger signal 52 to discriminate the kind of finger which has made keying of the keyboard 12, a key stroke finger recognizing part 13 to input the key stroke finger signal 52 and to output key stroke finger information 54 and a control part 11 to control the character input device 10 and to output key stroke information 53 and the key stroke finger information 54 to the electronic device body 20 as character information 55 by combining them. The key stroke finger identification signal generating part 14 is formed in the shape of glove, to be worn in one hand to strike the keyboard and a small-sized contact switch the contact of which is closed in the case of key stroke by the finger can be arranged on the tip of each of the middle finger, the ring finger, the little finger and the thumb except the index finger.