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Mar 21, 2017 · Here we highlight some essential differences in basic written punctuation involving questions, exclamations and quotations in Spanish. ¿Question Marks? In Spanish punctuation, there are specific differences in the way we signal a written question.
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- Spanish Punctuation
- The Serial Comma. This is probably one of the most common mistakes among Spanish speakers. We, as Spanish speakers, have been taught throughout our lives to use commas when separating words in a list, much like in English; however, in Spanish, a serial comma is never used before the word “and” when you have a list of items.
- Numbers. In English punctuation, the comma is used when a number is four to more digits, placing the first comma by counting three spaces to the left, and continuing placing a comma every three digits.
- Colon vs. Comma. English punctuation rules state that a comma must be used after salutation in a personal or business letter. Throughout the years, Spanish speakers have been adapting this rule to the Spanish punctuation but the Real Academia Española establishes that the right way is to use a colon after the salutation in a personal or business letter.
- Quotation. In American English – when quoting – the period, comma, question, and exclamation marks go inside the quotation marks. This rule defers from Spanish because the period and comma go outside the quotation marks.
- List of Spanish Punctuation Marks. Spanish. English. Punctuation Mark. punto. period . punto final. period (at the end of a sentence) punto y aparte or punto aparte.
- Punto: Uses and Examples. Used at the end of a statement. examples. Fuimos al parque ayer. We went to the park yesterday. Used at the end of an abbreviation.
- Coma: Uses and Examples. Used to separate dependent and independent clauses. examples. Si no entiendes, no dudes en contactarme. If you don't understand, don't hesitate to contact me.
- Comillas: Uses and Examples. Used to denote quoted speech. Las comillas españolas are often used in quoted speech, especially in books written in Spanish.
- To Begin With, The Protagonists
- Full Stop
- Ellipses
- Colon
- Semicolon
- Comma
Obviously, if we want to study their similarities and also their differences in a detailed way we have to take the English punctuation as a reference.
In the same way as in Spanish, final sentence mark: I went to Paris last week. (Fui a París la semana pasada) and it is not placed at the end of an exclamatory or interrogative sentence. It is also used after an abbreviated word (Jackson and Co.) but not if the last letter of the abbreviation is the same as in the full version: Ltd = limited (SA); ...
The three dots go to the end of a wordand mean that what you want to say continues on the next line or it is not finished, it is suspended. Exactly the same as in Spanish.
The main use of a colon is in listing a list. For example: We saw all of Paris’s attractions: the Eiffel tower, the Champs Elysés, the Louvre. They are also used before an explanation : We can’t stay here any longer: the money has run out. And finally, they introduce a quote, something someone has said: In the words of Marco Polo: ‘The man who trav...
The semicolon is used to separate two clauses, two ideas, as if they were two different sentences; however, the second idea refers to, or qualifies, the previous idea: Some people work best at night; others prefer working in the morning. / It’s a good plan; let’s hope it works out. (Some people work better at night; others prefer to work in the mor...
It always appears after words like‘however’ (sin embargo) and ‘so’ (así que), especially when they are placed at the beginning of the sentence, although they can also appear at the end and in the middle of a sentence: We ran back to the road; the car had gone, however. We didn’t, therefore, have any other option. (Corrimos de regreso a la carretera...
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- Spanish Punctuation Marks and their Symbols. Before we even get into any explanations, let’s just have a quick overview of the different punctuation marks in Spanish along with their names in both languages.
- Question Marks – Signos de Interrogación. Just like in English, Spanish question marks indicate the existence of a question; the main difference is that, when writing in Spanish, you must include an upside-down question mark at the beginning of the interrogative phrase.
- Exclamation Marks – Signos de Exclamación. Spanish exclamation marks help demonstrate that we’re exclaiming or interjecting. They have something in common with Spanish question marks: you must include an opening exclamation mark at the beginning of the phrase and a closing exclamation mark at the end
- Period – Punto. In both English and Spanish, a period indicates a pause and marks the end of a statement in a sentence or text. In both languages, the word that follows the period is always written with a capital letter.
Nov 1, 2023 · Spanish Punctuation Marks and their Symbols. Let’s begin by visually presenting the punctuation marks in Spanish and comparing them to their English equivalents. Specialties of Using Punctuation in Spanish. Spanish punctuation might seem straightforward at first, but understanding its nuances is crucial for proper usage.
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Another important difference is the use of the period: in Spanish, used for both abbreviations and the end of a sentence, while in English periods are used for abbreviations, but not at the end of each sentence. These are just some of the differences in punctuation between Spanish and English.
