:h i_ctrl-r That is, i<C-r>0 will paste a line character-wise, but the EOL will still be there, so you might have to join lines afterward. Alternatively, you

:h i_ctrl-r That is, i<C-r>0 will paste a line character-wise, but the EOL will still be there, so you might have to join lines afterward. Alternatively, you could not yank the EOL with ^y$. For making a newline with a character-wise yank, use o or O to make the new line and you can use <C-r>0. Or Escape and p.