PURPOSE: To reduce the number of keys and the size of the titled system by storing the kind of a key and the number of times of operation and inputting prescribed key information in accordance with the stored contents.

CONSTITUTION: The key input part 2 of a desk computer 1 for electric translation consists of ten keys, function keys for arithmetic operation, a mode changing switch 4 between operation and translation, and a translation mode changing switch 5 for changing the translation between Japanese and English. When the switch 4 is set to the translation mode, a latch 13 in a control part 11 latches the contents of the operated keys out of the ten keys 0W9 and a counter 12 counts up the number of operations of the same key and inputs the number to a character code generating part 14. The generating part 14 generates "kana" (Japanese syllabary) or alphabetical codes in accordance with the numeral of the latch 13 and the number of times of operation counted by the counter 12 and displays the characters on a display part 3 through a register 15. When a division key is depressed after displaying prescribed character, a control part 11 sends a translation command to a translation part 16. The translation part 16 retrieves a dictionary ROM 17 and displays an English word of a Japanese word corresponding to the displayed characters on the display part 3.