input-method-use-echo-area

input-method-use-echo-area is a variable defined in `mule-cmds.el'.
Its value is

nil

Documentation:
This flag controls how an input method shows an intermediate key sequence.
Usually, the input method inserts the intermediate key sequence,
or candidate translations corresponding to the sequence,
at point in the current buffer.
But, if this flag is non-nil, it displays them in echo area instead.

You can customize this variable.