12+ Très Necessary French Punctuation Marks & How To Use Them

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Punctuation could appear elective for those who’re sending les textos (SMS textual content messages). However for many formal French writing, together with letters, essays, or emails, you’ll need to use appropriate French punctuation. On this information, you’ll study the names and proper utilization of ordinary French punctuation, so your writing will match proper in and impress even probably the most cautious proofreader.

Is French punctuation the identical as English? 

The excellent news is that the majority French signes de ponctuation (punctuation marks) are going to be very acquainted, each in kind and utilization. There are some choosy variations, equivalent to the place to incorporate areas, and there are just a few punctuation marks that differ from English.

In apply, French punctuation varies barely relying on the kind of textual content and even regional dialect. If you happen to learn genuine writing from totally different French-speaking nations, you’ll see quite a lot of French punctuation utilization.  

Important French signes de ponctuation (punctuation marks)

This record contains the most typical French punctuation marks you’ll use in writing. 

French punctuation marks generally used on-line

To understand and talk about widespread web punctuation and particular characters, study these names. 

The hashtag and underscore are mostly referred to in English, however official French phrases exist.  

1. Interval: le level .

The French interval, le level, is used the identical means as an English full cease. It ends a declarative sentence. It will also be known as un level last. 

• Il faut terminer la phrase avec un level. = It’s needed to finish the sentence with a interval.

Durations (or clean areas) are additionally used rather than commas in some French numbers, whereas commas are used rather than a decimal. 

• 1.000.000 (un million) = 1,000,000 (one million)

2. Query mark: le level d’interrogation ?

The query mark in French, known as le level d’interrogation, appears similar to English and is utilized in the identical means. As with different customary French punctuation manufactured from two marks, there’s at all times an area in entrance of the query mark. 

• Combien coûte un abonnement ? = How a lot does a subscription price? 

To ask questions in French with confidence, study the most typical interrogative expressions. 

3. Exclamation level: le level d’exclamation !

The exclamation level, known as le level d’exclamation, expresses robust emotion, shock, or forceful statements, identical to in English. It’s a characteristic of informal speech, pleasure, or the crucial temper, however it’s not strictly needed to make use of exclamation factors. Use an area earlier than this French punctuation.

4. Comma: la virgule ,

Separate objects in an inventory or concepts inside a sentence utilizing la virgule (the comma). Commas are used as a pause in a lot the identical means as in English aside from the shortage of the Oxford comma in French. Solely French conjunctions, equivalent to et (and), are wanted to separate the final merchandise in an inventory. 

• J’ai mangé du jambon, du fromage et du ache. = I ate some ham, some cheese, and a few bread. 

French makes use of a comma rather than a decimal level in numbers. 

• Je vais prendre 2,5 kilos de poires. = I’m going to take 2.5 kilos of pears. 

5. Colon: les deux factors :

If you happen to perceive the English guidelines for utilizing a deux-points (colon), you’ll perceive its operate in French. The colon can be used to introduce direct quotations in French. At all times put an area earlier than and after the colon. 

• Le prof dit : « Vous avez quinze minutes. » = The instructor says, “You could have fifteen minutes.”

6. Semicolon: le point-virgule ;

The title point-virgule (semicolon) is made up of the literal phrases for every of its elements: le level (interval) and la virgule (the comma). You use the semicolon equally to how you employ it in English: separating two distinct clauses which are related. The semicolon is useful when one of many phrases has already been separated by a comma. Keep in mind, the second phrase doesn’t use a capital letter, as a result of technically it isn’t the start of a sentence. Areas precede and comply with the point-virgule. 

• J’étudie un peu tous les jours ; si je ne le fais pas, je ne vais pas réussir. = I research a little bit each day; if I don’t, I’m not going to succeed.

7. Hyphen: le trait d’union –

The French phrase for hyphen tells its use: un trait (a line or sprint) d’union (of union). It joins two phrases. Every little thing is unified with a hyphen, so there are not any areas. Hyphens serve to maintain an extended phrase collectively when it breaks on the finish of a line, like in English. 

Hyphens are part of written French numbers as much as 100 in addition to some names and expressions in French. 

• soixante-dix-huit (seventy-eight) 
• Marie-Claude (a compound title)
• peut-être (perhaps)
• C’est-à-dire (that’s to say) 

You’ll get used to hyphens in formal French writing, particularly when utilizing questions with inversion, the place the topic follows the verb and is joined by the trait d’union. 

• Avez-vous des enfants ? = Do you could have youngsters?

In circumstances the place inversion causes awkward pronunciation with too many vowels in a row, the t euphonique helps to clean it out. There isn’t any different which means to this t. 

• Va-t-il acheter un billet ? = Is he going to purchase a ticket? 

Hyphens are additionally used within the crucial tense to present instructions. 

• Allons-y ! = Let’s go! 
• Aidez-moi ! = Assist me! 

8. Em sprint: le tiret —

The principle use of the tiret (em sprint) in French punctuation is to mark a change within the speaker when presenting dialogue in a textual content. A tiret is barely longer than a trait d’union.  

• — On a un examen ? = We now have a take a look at? 
• — Non, c’est demain. = No, that’s tomorrow. 
• — Ouf, je pensais que j’allais échouer. = Phew, I assumed I used to be going to fail. 

Le tiret will also be used to incorporate a facet thought inside a sentence. 

• J’habite seule — avec un chien — parce que j’aime la solitude. = I dwell alone—with a canine—as a result of I like solitude. 

The em sprint will also be used as a sort of bullet level in an inventory. 

Pour apprendre bien le français il faut : = To study French properly, one should:

— écouter des vidéos = hearken to movies

— apprendre beaucoup de mots français = study lots of French phrases 

— pratiquer avec un ami = apply with a buddy

— utiliser une appli comme Rosetta Stone = use an app like Rosetta Stone

9. Ellipsis: les factors de suspension …

These three dots can imply a sentence is incomplete (voluntarily or not).   

• Après le travail je devrais répondre au courriel, payer les factures, nettoyer la salle de bains… = After work I ought to reply the mail, pay the payments, clear the toilet …

It additionally signifies that there’s a break or interruption in a quote when it’s between crochets (brackets), which means the unique quote has further data that’s being neglected for brevity. 

• Pour vous aider à comprendre le texte […] il y a des liens sur le website. = That can assist you perceive the textual content … there are hyperlinks on the web site. 

10. Apostrophe: l’apostrophe ’

A characteristic of French writing and pronunciation is l’élision (elision): Avoiding two vowel sounds in a row and as an alternative attaching them with an apostrophe offers French its very clean look and pronunciation. Articles like le/la (the), and pronouns like me/te/se (me/you/him/her) are simply a number of the occasions you’ll use apostrophes in French. You’ll study these guidelines as you grasp French elements of speech. 

• l’éléphant = the elephant
• Je m’appelle = I name myself
• Il s’amuse trop. = He has an excessive amount of enjoyable.

There are apostrophes within the phrases aujourd’hui (at this time), quelqu’un (somebody), and presqu’île (peninsula) due to elision. 

There isn’t any such factor as utilizing an apostrophe + “s” for possession in French: That is distinctive to English. To indicate possession in French, you reverse the order of the nouns and use the phrase de (of) within the construction. 

The system appears like this: “owned noun” + de + “proprietor noun.”

• le livre de la professeur = the instructor’s guide (actually: the guide of the instructor)
• la voiture de mes dad and mom = my dad and mom’ automotive (actually: the automotive of my dad and mom)

11. Parentheses: les parenthèses ( )

Parentheses are used equally to English, isolating further data inside a sentence (particularly if it’s non-essential). For remoted data inside parentheses, use crochets (brackets). Durations or different last punctuation comply with the closing parenthesis. 

• Ma femme a cuisiné une soupe á l’oignon (comme tous les dimanches). = My spouse made onion soup (like each Sunday).

12. French citation marks: les guillemets « »

Of all French punctuation marks, maybe solely the guillemets (double-angle citation marks) are much less acquainted to English readers and writers. They’re named after a French printer, Guillaume Le Bé, and you may additionally discover them in different Romance languages. 

Les guillemets are used to indicate a citation. For a whole dialogue, they’re used originally and finish, whereas the tiret (em sprint) signifies a change in speaker. 

They will also be used to point irony or sarcasm. 

• Tu peux acheter des « croissants » ici, mais… = You should purchase “croissants” right here, however … 

Spacing with French punctuation marks

Although many French punctuation marks are acquainted to English readers and writers, there are totally different guidelines for areas in French punctuation. As we’ve seen with the query mark and exclamation level, you usually have to insert areas earlier than and after. 

A easy strategy to bear in mind to insert an area earlier than and after is to have a look at the mark itself. 

• If it’s a logo that consists of two totally different elements, equivalent to a colon, semicolon, or guillemet, it requires an area. 
• Query marks and exclamation factors are additionally thought-about “double punctuation marks” as a result of they embody the dot on the backside of the image. 
• You additionally want an area after a share mark or forex symbols. 

Stop awkward line breaks whenever you’re typing by checking directions in your phrase processor to insert une espace insécable (a non-breaking house) if essential to hold the punctuation with the related phrase or quantity. 

Word: Canadian French doesn’t use these additional areas.

Key takeaways about French punctuation

Punctuation helps hold your written concepts organized, so you possibly can talk clearly.

• Most French punctuation marks are acquainted and serve an analogous function to their English counterparts.
• There are areas earlier than and after double punctuation marks in French. 
• Writing French quotations requires les guillemets (double-angle citation marks). 
• Dialogue inside a French textual content makes use of le tiret (em sprint).
• Seeing written French in context, like in Rosetta Stone’s app, is a good way to note appropriate patterns.