lua - How to move in neovim insertmode - Stack Overflow

Hi I wanted to create a key map of ctrl + {hjkl} to be able to move through the code, with these keys while I'm in insert mode. Here is what i wrote in my keymaps.lua file:

local function map(mode, lhs, rhs, opts)
  local options = { noremap = true, silent = true }
  if opts then
    options = vim.tbl_extend('force', options, opts)
  end
  vim.api.nvim_set_keymap(mode, lhs, rhs, options)
end

-- InsertMode movement
map('i', '<C-h>', '<Left>')
map('i', '<C-j>', '<Down>')
map('i', '<C-k>', '<Up>')
map('i', '<C-l>', '<Right>')

The problem is that and are working correctly but and do not seem to do any thing at all. I also checked if terminal is sending the correct keys when I press them and i think it was OK.

Anyone has any idea about it or any better ways to move in insert mode would be appreciated.

Update:

• I tried 4 different terminals (Ghostty - Kitty - xterm - cosmic terminal) and none worked so it is not terminal related issue
• I tried removing keymaps first and It throw an error saying the keymaps does not exist to delete them
• I tried modern way of setting the keymaps and they did not worked
• For some reason none of the mappings in insert mode were listed in :map commands output while two of them were working.

Hi I wanted to create a key map of ctrl + {hjkl} to be able to move through the code, with these keys while I'm in insert mode. Here is what i wrote in my keymaps.lua file:

local function map(mode, lhs, rhs, opts)
  local options = { noremap = true, silent = true }
  if opts then
    options = vim.tbl_extend('force', options, opts)
  end
  vim.api.nvim_set_keymap(mode, lhs, rhs, options)
end

-- InsertMode movement
map('i', '<C-h>', '<Left>')
map('i', '<C-j>', '<Down>')
map('i', '<C-k>', '<Up>')
map('i', '<C-l>', '<Right>')

The problem is that and are working correctly but and do not seem to do any thing at all. I also checked if terminal is sending the correct keys when I press them and i think it was OK.

Anyone has any idea about it or any better ways to move in insert mode would be appreciated.

Update:

• I tried 4 different terminals (Ghostty - Kitty - xterm - cosmic terminal) and none worked so it is not terminal related issue
• I tried removing keymaps first and It throw an error saying the keymaps does not exist to delete them
• I tried modern way of setting the keymaps and they did not worked
• For some reason none of the mappings in insert mode were listed in :map commands output while two of them were working.

• lua
• config
• neovim

Share Improve this question Follow edited Feb 3 at 13:07 Alireza Bahrami asked Feb 3 at 6:26 Alireza BahramiAlireza Bahrami 351010 bronze badges

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3 Answers 3

Sorted by: Reset to default 1

Your Lua configuration for Neovim key mappings looks correct. However, the issue with <C-j> and <C-k> not working in insert mode is likely due to terminal settings or conflicts with Neovim's built-in keybindings.

Possible Issues & Fixes:

1. Check Terminal Keybindings

Some terminals (e.g., Alacritty, Kitty, or even default terminal emulators) might not send <C-j> and <C-k> correctly. You can check what keys are being sent using:

:imap <C-j>
:imap <C-k>

If nothing appears, your terminal might be intercepting these keybindings.

2. Disable Default <C-j> and <C-k> Mappings

Neovim has built-in behavior for <C-j> and <C-k> in insert mode (e.g., <C-j> might trigger a snippet expansion in some setups). Try adding this to ensure they work as expected:

vim.api.nvim_del_keymap('i', '<C-j>')
vim.api.nvim_del_keymap('i', '<C-k>')

Then reapply your mappings:

map('i', '<C-h>', '<Left>')
map('i', '<C-j>', '<Down>')
map('i', '<C-k>', '<Up>')
map('i', '<C-l>', '<Right>')

3. Use vim.keymap.set Instead

A more modern way to define key mappings in Neovim is using vim.keymap.set. Try replacing your mapping function with:

vim.keymap.set('i', '<C-h>', '<Left>', { noremap = true, silent = true })
vim.keymap.set('i', '<C-j>', '<Down>', { noremap = true, silent = true })
vim.keymap.set('i', '<C-k>', '<Up>', { noremap = true, silent = true })
vim.keymap.set('i', '<C-l>', '<Right>', { noremap = true, silent = true })

4. Debug Terminal Input

To ensure your terminal sends the correct keys, run this inside Neovim:

:map <C-j>
:map <C-k>

If nothing appears, your terminal might not be passing <C-j> and <C-k> to Neovim.

5. Alternative Keybindings

If the issue persists, you can try different keybindings that are less likely to be intercepted:

map('i', '<C-n>', '<Down>') -- Alternative for <C-j>
map('i', '<C-p>', '<Up>')   -- Alternative for <C-k>

Conclusion

If <C-j> and <C-k> still don’t work:

• Check if your terminal is capturing those keys.
• Try using vim.keymap.set instead of vim.api.nvim_set_keymap.
• Use vim.api.nvim_del_keymap('i', '<C-j>') before remapping.
• Use alternative key combinations like <C-n> and <C-p>.

I think they are not applying because of the default behavior in some Neovim configurations.

-- first unset it,
vim.keymap.del('i', '<C-h>', '<Left>')
...

-- and then set it
vim.keymap.set('i', '<C-h>', '<Left>')
...

So, the use of vim.keymap.set is preferable for your configuration. If, the issue resides, let me know.

Try with:

local opts = { noremap = true, silent = true }

vim.keymap.set ("i", "<c-h>", "<left>", opts)
vim.keymap.set ("i", "<c-j>", "<down>", opts)
vim.keymap.set ("i", "<c-k>", "<up>", opts)
vim.keymap.set ("i", "<c-l>", "<right>", opts)

I'd recommend you to run nvim --clean and then set each keymap manually in command mode, because they might be conflicting with plugin keymaps, for example:

:lua vim.keymap.set ("i", "<c-l>", "<right>", { noremap = true, silent = true })

or write all the keymaps in a lua file and source.