Basic Movement

Learn to navigate with h, j, k, l - the foundation of Vim

Open companion guide

Goals

0/4
  • Move cursor right with l
  • Move cursor left with h
  • Move cursor down with j
  • Move cursor up with k
Keys 0 · par 20

Instructions

  1. 1.Use h to move left
  2. 2.Use j to move down
  3. 3.Use k to move up
  4. 4.Use l to move right
  5. 5.Navigate to the X marker
Quick KeysNORMAL
h j k lMove cursor
w b eWord movement
i a oEnter insert
dDelete
yYank (copy)
pPaste
uUndo
vVisual mode
:Command mode
/Search

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Lesson Companion

Use Basic Movement in real editing

This companion guide helps you complete Basic Movement with fewer mistakes and better command fluency.

Quick Command Cheatsheet
  • movement
  • hjkl
  • basics
When to Use This Motion/Operator

Use this lesson whenever you need to jump to the right position before editing with fewer keystrokes.

  • Prefer this over arrow-key micro-movements before each edit.
  • Use this pattern whenever you're working inside Navigation Basics tasks.
  • Reach for movement, hjkl, basics when this pattern appears.
Common Mistakes
  • Reaching for the arrow keys instead of hjkl or word motions.
  • Taking single-character steps instead of jumping with w/b/e or f/t.
FAQ

How long should this lesson take?

Target completion is 60 seconds, but correctness matters more than speed at first.

Should I move to the next lesson if my score is low?

Repeat once or twice to build muscle memory on these fundamentals before moving on — beginner lessons compound into everything later.