Ben Warai Otoko

Vim Learning Guide

5 min read

🎓 Vim Learning Guide for Complete Beginners

This guide helps you progress from Vim beginner to LazyVim power user.

📍 Where You Are Now

You’re a complete Vim beginner - that’s perfect! This setup gives you both:

  1. Basic Vim (vim command) - for learning fundamentals
  2. LazyVim (nvim command) - for when you’re ready for IDE features

🎯 The Learning Path

Week 1-2: Master the Basics

Step 1: Run vimtutor (30 minutes)

vimtutor

This is Vim’s built-in tutorial. It teaches you the essentials interactively.

Step 2: Practice with Basic Vim

vim ~/practice.txt

Must-Learn Basics:

  • Modes: Normal (default), Insert (typing), Visual (selecting)
  • Movement: h (left), j (down), k (up), l (right)
  • Enter Insert mode: i (before cursor), a (after cursor), o (new line below)
  • Exit Insert mode: Esc
  • Delete: x (char), dd (line)
  • Copy/Paste: yy (copy line), p (paste)
  • Save/Quit: :w (save), :q (quit), :wq (save & quit), :q! (quit without saving)
  • Search: /searchterm then n (next), N (previous)

Daily Practice (15 minutes):

  • Day 1-3: Movement and modes
  • Day 4-7: Editing commands (delete, copy, paste)
  • Day 8-14: Search and file operations

Week 3-4: Build Muscle Memory

Step 3: Real Work with Basic Vim Start using vim for actual work:

vim README.md
vim script.sh
vim config.yaml

New Commands to Learn:

  • w - move forward by word
  • b - move backward by word
  • 0 - start of line
  • $ - end of line
  • gg - top of file
  • G - bottom of file
  • u - undo
  • Ctrl-r - redo
  • v - visual mode (select text)
  • d + motion - delete (e.g., dw delete word, d$ delete to end of line)
  • c + motion - change (delete and enter insert mode)

The Rule: No Arrow Keys! Force yourself to use h, j, k, l. Uncomfortable at first, but this is where the power comes from.

Week 5+: Graduate to LazyVim

Step 4: Launch Neovim with LazyVim

nvim

On first launch:

  • LazyVim will install plugins (1-2 minutes)
  • Don’t panic! This is automatic
  • You’ll see a welcome screen when done

Step 5: Discover Features Gradually Press Space and wait - a help menu appears showing available commands!

Start with These LazyVim Features:

File Navigation:

  • Space ff - Find files (fuzzy search)
  • Space fg - Find text in files (grep)
  • Space e - Toggle file explorer
  • Space fr - Recent files

Window Management:

  • Ctrl-h/j/k/l - Move between windows
  • Space w - Window commands

Git:

  • Space gg - Open LazyGit (amazing Git UI)
  • Space gb - Git blame

Code Intelligence:

  • K - Show documentation
  • gd - Go to definition
  • Space ca - Code actions

Help System:

  • Space ? - Show all keybindings
  • Space sk - Search keymaps
  • :h topic - Help on any topic

🎯 Learning Philosophy

The Right Way to Learn

  1. Start Slow: Master basic movement first, then build up
  2. Muscle Memory Over Speed: Accuracy matters more than speed initially
  3. One Command Per Day: Learn one new command each day, use it deliberately
  4. No Plugins Until Basics: Don’t jump to LazyVim too early
  5. Embrace the Discomfort: First 2 weeks are hard - push through!

Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Jumping to LazyVim too early - You’ll rely on mouse and IDE features instead of learning Vim ❌ Using arrow keys - Defeats the purpose of Vim’s efficiency ❌ Trying to learn everything at once - Overwhelming and ineffective ❌ Giving up in week 1 - Everyone struggles initially, stick with it! ❌ Not using vimtutor - Best 30 minutes you can invest

When to Graduate to LazyVim

You’re ready for LazyVim when you can:

  • ✅ Navigate files without thinking about h/j/k/l
  • ✅ Switch between modes naturally
  • ✅ Delete, copy, paste without looking up commands
  • ✅ Search and replace text
  • ✅ Work for 30+ minutes without touching the mouse

Usually takes 2-3 weeks of daily practice.

🆘 When You Get Stuck

Stuck in Vim and Can’t Exit?

Press: Esc
Type: :q!
Press: Enter

Accidentally Entered Command Mode?

Press: Esc a few times

Made Changes You Don’t Want?

Press: Esc
Type: :q!
Press: Enter

Want to Save and Exit?

Press: Esc
Type: :wq
Press: Enter

📚 Resources

Interactive:

  • vimtutor - Built-in tutorial (run in terminal)
  • Vim Adventures - Learn Vim through a game

Reading:

  • OpenVim - Interactive Vim tutorial
  • Practical Vim by Drew Neil - Excellent book (recommended after basics)

LazyVim Specific:

💡 Pro Tips

  1. Configure your terminal to treat Alt/Option key correctly for Aerospace window management
  2. Keep basic Vim for quick edits and server work (where LazyVim isn’t available)
  3. Use which-key in LazyVim - Press Space and wait to discover commands
  4. Learn one workflow at a time - Master file navigation before diving into LSP features
  5. Customize gradually - LazyVim works great out of the box, only customize when you know what you need

🎉 The Payoff

After 2-3 weeks:

  • You’ll edit text faster than with any GUI editor
  • You’ll work without touching the mouse
  • You’ll have a skill that works on every Unix system
  • You’ll understand why developers love Vim

Stick with it! The initial learning curve is steep but absolutely worth it.

Need help?

  • In Vim: Type :help
  • In LazyVim: Press Space and wait for which-key
  • In this repo: Read dotfiles/nvim/.config/nvim/README.md

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