Basic French Punctuation
There are a few differences between French and English punctuation rules. In this article, you will learn how to use French punctuation correctly!
Questions This Article Answers
What are the punctuation marks in French?
What is punctuation in French?
Are French and English punctuation the same?
When is the non-breaking space used in French?
Does French use the Oxford comma?
Is the Oxford comma used in French?
What are some French punctuation marks?
What are the French punctuation rules?
What are the French punctuation symbols?
How should I use the question mark in French?
When should I use French commas?
Punctuation Marks in French
Let's take a look at the names of the main punctuation marks in French!
The Main Punctuation Marks in French
The Non-Breaking Space
One of the main differences between French and English punctuation is that French adds a non-breaking space before the following punctuation marks: ? ! ; :
In the case of quotation marks « », there is a space after the opening quotation mark, and before the closing quotation mark. For example: J’écoute « La vie en rose »(I'm listening to "La vie en rose").
What Is a Non-breaking Space?
This space before a ? ! ; : « » should always be a non-breaking space. The non-breaking space keeps the punctuation mark together with the word that precedes it. This way, there's not a stray punctuation mark by itself at the beginning of a new line!
On a Windows computer, you can create a non-breaking space by holding down ALT and typing 255 on your number pad. On a Mac, the keyboard shortcut for a non-breaking space is Option + Space Bar.
Let's take a look at a few examples of sentences with non-breaking spaces. We have marked the non-breaking spaces, also called NBSP, with an underscore.
Examples of Sentences with Non-breaking Spaces
| French | English |
|---|---|
| D'où viens-tu _ ? | Where are you from? |
| Nom _ : Dupont | Name: Dupont |
| Il a dit _ : « _ Bonjour _ ! _ » | He said: "Hello!" |
Regional variations
Please note that this punctuation rule primarily applies to French as used in France. In Quebec, no space is added before the punctuation marks ? and !
The Oxford Comma in French
French does not use the Oxford comma before the conjunction at the end of a list. For example:
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Periods and Commas in Numbers in French
French numbers are written differently than in English. In French, a comma is used to indicate decimals. To separate large whole numbers, such as thousands, millions, and billions, French uses a space. For example:
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Learn more about French with these articles!
