Punctuation may seem optional if you’re sending les textos (SMS text messages). But for most formal French writing, including letters, essays, or emails, you’ll want to use correct French punctuation. In this guide, you’ll learn the names and correct usage of standard French punctuation, so your writing will fit right in and impress even the most careful proofreader.
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Is French punctuation the same as English?
The good news is that most French signes de ponctuation (punctuation marks) are going to be very familiar, both in form and usage. There are some picky differences, such as where to include spaces, and there are a few punctuation marks that differ from English.
In practice, French punctuation varies slightly depending on the type of text and even regional dialect. If you read authentic writing from different French-speaking countries, you’ll see a variety of French punctuation usage.
Essential French signes de ponctuation (punctuation marks)
This list includes the most common French punctuation marks you’ll use in writing.
| French Punctuation Mark | French Name | English Name |
| . | le point | period |
| ? | le point d’ interrogation | question mark |
| ! | le point d’exclamation | exclamation point |
| , | la virgule | comma |
| : | les deux points | colon |
| ; | le point virgule | semicolon |
| – | le trait-d’union | hyphen |
| — | le tiret | em dash |
| … | les points de suspension | ellipsis |
| ‘ | l’apostrophe | apostrophe |
| ( ) | les parentheses | parentheses |
| « » | les guillemets | quotation marks |
French punctuation marks commonly used online
To comprehend and discuss common internet punctuation and special characters, learn these names.
| French Punctuation Mark | French Name | English Name |
| @ | arobase | at symbol |
| / | barre oblique/trait oblique | forward slash |
| \ | barre oblique inverse | backslash |
| # | mot-dièse/hashtag | hashtag |
| _ | tiret bas/underscore | underscore |
The hashtag and underscore are most commonly referred to in English, but official French terms exist.
1. Period: le point .
The French period, le point, is used the same way as an English full stop. It ends a declarative sentence. It can also be called un point final.
- Il faut terminer la phrase avec un point. = It’s necessary to end the sentence with a period.
Periods (or blank spaces) are also used in place of commas in some French numbers, while commas are used in place of a decimal.
- 1.000.000 (un million) = 1,000,000 (a million)
2. Question mark: le point d’interrogation ?
The question mark in French, called le point d’interrogation, looks identical to English and is used in the same way. As with other standard French punctuation made of two marks, there is always a space in front of the question mark.
- Combien coûte un abonnement ? = How much does a subscription cost?
To ask questions in French with confidence, learn the most common interrogative expressions.
3. Exclamation point: le point d’exclamation !
The exclamation point, called le point d’exclamation, expresses strong emotion, surprise, or forceful statements, just like in English. It is a feature of casual speech, excitement, or the imperative mood, but it’s not strictly necessary to use exclamation points. Use a space before this French punctuation.
- Attention ! = Watch out!
4. Comma: la virgule ,
Separate items in a list or ideas within a sentence using la virgule (the comma). Commas are used as a pause in much the same way as in English except for the lack of the Oxford comma in French. Only French conjunctions, such as et (and), are needed to separate the last item in a list.
- J’ai mangé du jambon, du fromage et du pain. = I ate some ham, some cheese, and some bread.
French uses a comma in place of a decimal point in numbers.
- Je vais prendre 2,5 kilos de poires. = I’m going to take 2.5 kilos of pears.
5. Colon: les deux points :
If you understand the English rules for using a deux-points (colon), you’ll understand its function in French. The colon is also used to introduce direct quotations in French. Always put a space before and after the colon.
- Le prof dit : « Vous avez quinze minutes. » = The teacher says, “You have fifteen minutes.”
6. Semicolon: le point-virgule ;
The name point-virgule (semicolon) is made up of the literal words for each of its parts: le point (period) and la virgule (the comma). You use the semicolon similarly to how you use it in English: separating two distinct clauses that are similar. The semicolon is helpful when one of the phrases has already been separated by a comma. Remember, the second phrase doesn’t use a capital letter, because technically it isn’t the beginning of a sentence. Spaces precede and follow the point-virgule.
- J’étudie un peu tous les jours ; si je ne le fais pas, je ne vais pas réussir. = I study a little every day; if I don’t, I’m not going to succeed.
7. Hyphen: le trait d’union –
The French word for hyphen tells its use: un trait (a line or dash) d’union (of union). It joins two words. Everything is unified with a hyphen, so there are no spaces. Hyphens serve to keep a long word together when it breaks at the end of a line, like in English.
Hyphens are a part of written French numbers up to 100 as well as some names and expressions in French.
- soixante-dix-huit (seventy-eight)
- Marie-Claude (a compound name)
- peut-être (maybe)
- C’est-à-dire (that is to say)
You’ll get used to hyphens in formal French writing, especially when using questions with inversion, where the subject follows the verb and is joined by the trait d’union.
- Avez-vous des enfants ? = Do you have children?
In cases where inversion causes awkward pronunciation with too many vowels in a row, the t euphonique helps to smooth it out. There is no other meaning to this t.
- Va-t-il acheter un billet ? = Is he going to buy a ticket?
Hyphens are also used in the imperative tense to give commands.
- Allons-y ! = Let’s go!
- Aidez-moi ! = Help me!
8. Em dash: le tiret —
The main use of the tiret (em dash) in French punctuation is to mark a change in the speaker when presenting dialogue in a text. A tiret is slightly longer than a trait d’union.
- — On a un examen ? = We have a test?
- — Non, c’est demain. = No, that’s tomorrow.
- — Ouf, je pensais que j’allais échouer. = Phew, I thought I was going to fail.
Le tiret can also be used to include a side thought within a sentence.
- J’habite seule — avec un chien — parce que j’aime la solitude. = I live alone—with a dog—because I like solitude.
The em dash can also be used as a type of bullet point in a list.
Pour apprendre bien le français il faut : = To learn French well, one must:
— écouter des vidéos = listen to videos
— apprendre beaucoup de mots français = learn a lot of French words
— pratiquer avec un ami = practice with a friend
— utiliser une appli comme Rosetta Stone = use an app like Rosetta Stone
9. Ellipsis: les points de suspension …
These three dots can mean 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 should answer the mail, pay the bills, clean the bathroom …
It also indicates that there is a break or interruption in a quote when it’s between crochets (brackets), meaning the original quote has additional information that is being left out for brevity.
- Pour vous aider à comprendre le texte […] il y a des liens sur le site. = To help you understand the text … there are links on the website.
10. Apostrophe: l’apostrophe ’
A feature of French writing and pronunciation is l’élision (elision): Avoiding two vowel sounds in a row and instead attaching them with an apostrophe gives French its very smooth look and pronunciation. Articles like le/la (the), and pronouns like me/te/se (me/you/him/her) are just some of the times you’ll use apostrophes in French. You’ll learn these rules as you master French parts of speech.
- l’éléphant = the elephant
- Je m’appelle = I call myself
- Il s’amuse trop. = He has too much fun.
There are apostrophes in the words aujourd’hui (today), quelqu’un (someone), and presqu’île (peninsula) because of elision.
There is no such thing as using an apostrophe + “s” for possession in French: This is unique to English. To show possession in French, you reverse the order of the nouns and use the word de (of) in the structure.
The formula looks like this: “owned noun” + de + “owner noun.”
- le livre de la professeur = the teacher’s book (literally: the book of the teacher)
- la voiture de mes parents = my parents’ car (literally: the car of my parents)
11. Parentheses: les parenthèses ( )
Parentheses are used similarly to English, isolating additional information within a sentence (especially if it’s non-essential). For isolated information within parentheses, use crochets (brackets). Periods or other final punctuation follow the closing parenthesis.
- Ma femme a cuisiné une soupe á l’oignon (comme tous les dimanches). = My wife made onion soup (like every Sunday).
12. French quotation marks: les guillemets « »
Of all French punctuation marks, perhaps only the guillemets (double-angle quotation marks) are less familiar to English readers and writers. They are named after a French printer, Guillaume Le Bé, and you may also notice them in other Romance languages.
Les guillemets are used to show a quotation. For an entire dialogue, they are used at the beginning and end, while the tiret (em dash) indicates a change in speaker.
They can also be used to indicate irony or sarcasm.
- Tu peux acheter des « croissants » ici, mais… = You can buy “croissants” here, but …
Spacing with French punctuation marks
Though many French punctuation marks are familiar to English readers and writers, there are different rules for spaces in French punctuation. As we’ve seen with the question mark and exclamation point, you often need to insert spaces before and after.
A simple way to remember to insert a space before and after is to look at the mark itself.
- If it’s a symbol that consists of two different parts, such as a colon, semicolon, or guillemet, it requires a space.
- Question marks and exclamation points are also considered “double punctuation marks” because they include the dot at the bottom of the symbol.
- You also need a space after a percentage mark or currency symbols.
Prevent awkward line breaks when you’re typing by checking instructions in your word processor to insert une espace insécable (a non-breaking space) if necessary to keep the punctuation with the associated word or number.
Note: Canadian French does not use these extra spaces.
Key takeaways about French punctuation
Punctuation helps keep your written ideas organized, so you can communicate clearly.
- Most French punctuation marks are familiar and serve a similar purpose to their English counterparts.
- There are spaces before and after double punctuation marks in French.
- Writing French quotations requires les guillemets (double-angle quotation marks).
- Dialogue within a French text uses le tiret (em dash).
- Seeing written French in context, like in Rosetta Stone’s app, is a great way to notice correct patterns.
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