The upside-down question mark feels uniquely Spanish and makes the language easy to identify in writing because it’s one of the only modern languages to use the punctuation. You’ll always see the inverted Spanish question mark (¿) at the start of a question (but not necessarily at the start of a sentence), while the question will end with a standard question mark (?). Learn how and when to use un signo de apertura de interrogación (opening upside-down question mark) in your writing to embrace correct Spanish punctuation.
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What is the purpose of an upside-down question mark?
In Spanish writing, the upside-down question mark is mostly used for clarification. It signals to the reader that a question is coming, so questions are easy to identify, even when Spanish question words aren’t included.
Indicates a question when no question words are present
For a speaker or listener, Spanish yes/no questions are identical to statements except for the inflection in your voice. Spanish doesn’t employ the auxiliary verb “do” in questions like “Do you speak Spanish?,” so for readers, the inverted punctuation at the beginning helps them understand that it’s a question.
- Hablas español. = You speak Spanish.
- ¿Hablas español? = Do you speak Spanish?
In Spanish, the subject pronoun can be omitted entirely, unlike English, where the inversion of subject and verb shows that it’s a question.
- Vas al concierto. = You are going to the concert.
- ¿Vas al concierto? = Are you going to the concert?
Signals a question before your eyes reach the end of a long sentence
In English, your eyes learn to read ahead to the end of the sentence to detect punctuation, but in Spanish, it’s obvious from the start, making it helpful for long questions.
- ¿Tienes el número de teléfono celular para la bisabuela de tu vecino de al lado? = You have the cell phone number for your next-door neighbor’s great-grandmother?
Key rules for using Spanish question marks
According to the Real Academia Española, the governing body of the Spanish language, there are some particulars to using Spanish question marks correctly.
- The signo de apertura de interrogación (opening upside-down question mark) is stuck to the beginning of the word it precedes, without a space.
- It must be paired with a closing question mark, which is not upside-down.
- Don’t omit them in standard writing in Spanish.
- Begin the question mark in front of the part of the sentence that is a question, not always before the first word of the entire sentence.
Where do you place an upside-down question mark in a sentence?
The upside-down question mark doesn’t always go at the beginning of the sentence, but it does always go at the beginning of the question. One of the easiest ways to get used to where they belong is to see lots of examples.
Beginning of the sentence
Whenever the question immediately begins the sentence, or the whole sentence is a question, place the upside-down question mark before the first letter of the first word.
- ¿Dónde estás? = Where are you?
- ¿Cuánto cuesta la entrada? = How much is the entry ticket?
Before question tags
Spanish statements can end with short apéndices interrogativos (question tags), like “right?” In Spanish, the question marks will surround this word or phrase. Spanish uses these frequently to confirm or check for understanding.
- Eres la nueva profesora, ¿verdad? = You’re the new teacher, right?
- Lo haces así, ¿ves? = You do it like this, see?
- Nos vemos el sábado, ¿no? = We’ll see each other Saturday, no?
- Alicia se ve muy guapa, ¿no es cierto? = Alicia looks really pretty, doesn’t she?
Inside Spanish quotation marks for dialogue and quotes
For dialogue or quoted speech, the Spanish interrogation mark goes right before a question, but inside the quotation marks.
- Carmen miró a su alrededor y preguntó, «¿Dónde estoy?». = Carmen looked around and asked, “Where am I?”
- El político les preguntó, «¿Qué es lo que necesitan?». = The politician asked them, “What is it you need?”
You’ll also notice that other Spanish punctuation marks are different from English punctuation. For example, quotation marks are different in Spanish.
After introductory phrases
When you start a sentence with an introductory phrase like en cuanto a (with regard to) or transition words like entonces (so, then), begin the question with the inverted punctuation.
- Entonces, ¿vas a trabajar el miércoles? = So, are you going to work Wednesday?
- En cuanto a la fiesta, ¿estamos listos? = Regarding the party, are we ready?
In complex sentences
Some complex sentences contain a question as the only part that could be a complete sentence on its own (main clause). In these types of sentences, you have two main options for the inverted question mark placement.
If the part that isn’t a complete sentence on its own (subordinate clause) comes first, it usually remains outside of the question marks, because the question hasn’t yet begun.
- Puesto que han cancelado el vuelo, ¿tomamos el tren? = Given that they’ve canceled the flight, are we taking the train?
If the subordinate clause is at the end, the entire sentence can be considered a question, so the whole thing is contained within the question marks.
- ¿Tomamos el tren, puesto que han cancelado el vuelo? = Are we taking the train, since they’ve cancelled the flight?
After a direct address
When you begin a sentence with a person’s name or a noun of direct address, this sits outside of the question posed in the rest of the sentence.
- Chicos, ¿sabías que mañana es mi cumpleaños? = Guys, did you know that tomorrow is my birthday?
- Samuel, ¿necesitas repasar antes de la prueba? = Samuel, do you need to review before the quiz?
Combined with exclamation points for emphasis
To express enthusiastic or strong surprise, the RAE says that it’s acceptable to use both the signos de interrogación and signos de exclamación (Spanish exclamation points). They can go in either order, but matching symbols go on the insides and the outsides.
Both of these are correct examples:
- ¿¡En serio!? = Seriously?!
- ¡¿En serio?! = Seriously?!
Another acceptable option is to use one of each.
- ¿En serio! = Seriously?!
- ¡En serio? = Seriously?!
How do you type an upside-down question mark?
Typing the upside-down question mark is easy when you know the tricks. Each computer or software version may be slightly different, so we’ve given you multiple options for how to type the inverted question mark on a keyboard for each type of device. If one doesn’t work, try another option.
How to type an upside-down question mark on an iPhone or Android phone
When typing on almost any kind of phone:
- Use the main keyboard. No need to install another keyboard.
- Hold and press the question mark button until the upside-down question mark appears above the key.
- Use your finger to select it.
How to type an upside-down question mark on a Mac
When typing on a Mac, simultaneously press: Option + Shift + ?
Add the Spanish keyboard to your Mac to type all international characters, including Spanish accents.
- From the Apple menu, find System Preferences > Keyboard.
- Select Input sources.
- Click the + sign on the lower left. Then choose Spanish.
- You can toggle between the English and Spanish keyboards by going to the corresponding flag at the top of your screen and clicking on it. Then select the language you want according to the flag.
- Type the upside-down question mark on your keyboard by tapping < + Shift.
How to type an upside-down question mark on a PC
Here are two quick ways to get the upside-down question mark on a PC if you just need it once:
- Hold down the Alt button and type one of the following numbers: 168, 0191, or 6824 using your keypad (not the number strip).
- Type Ctrl + Alt simultaneously then Shift + /.
If you’ll need the upside-down question mark and international characters regularly, the best option is to add the international keyboard. Here are the steps:
- Open Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region
- Find English. (Don’t install Spanish.)
- Open Language Options, often in the menu with three vertical dots.
- Click “Add a keyboard.” (You’ll see the standard US keyboard already there.)
- Scroll to find and click on “United States-International/QWERTY.”
- Close the Settings.
- To toggle between keyboards, click on your taskbar close to the date. A pop-up menu will appear with either ENG / US or ENG / INTL, allowing you to choose.
- You can also toggle the keyboards with the windows key + spacebar.
- To type the upside down question mark, type alt + ?
Install the international keyboard on a Chromebook
The steps for installation are:
- Open Settings>Device>Keyboard and Inputs
- Click “Input settings” and “Add input methods.”
- Find “English (US) with International PC keyboard
- Ctrl-spacebar allows you to toggle between keyboards.
Use the on-screen keyboard
Some applications and websites will include a small button or keyboard to allow for international characters.
If nothing else works, copy and paste
Each device is different, and settings change with software updates. Find a document or this blog post that includes an upside-down question mark, and copy/paste it to your document from here: ¿
Common mistakes with inverted question marks
There are a few pitfalls when it comes to using and typing the inverted question marks in Spanish. Once you know them, you’ll be able to avoid them easily.
Omitting them
It’s very common to see even native Spanish speakers and authentic Spanish materials omit the upside-down question mark. The influence of other languages and the use of shortcut or texting language can lead to “incorrect” punctuation of all kinds. I encourage my students and learners to use them whenever they can so that it becomes second nature with Spanish writing practice.
Not knowing how to write them by hand
You don’t need to turn your paper upside-down to write Spanish question marks by hand. In my experience, students find it awkward to form the upside-down question mark at first, but with practice, it becomes second nature. One trick is to pretend you are writing the number “5” but without the line at the top. Put a dot over it, and it’s close enough!
Always putting them at the beginning of a sentence
There are several instances where only part of the sentence is included between the question marks, and any introductory part of the sentence is outside of them.
Frequently asked questions about upside-down question marks
The upside-down question mark in Spanish is a handy way for readers to instantly know that what they’re reading is a question. Since it’s fairly unique, it’s natural to have a lot of questions about its existence and usage.
Are other punctuation marks inverted?
The only other punctuation mark in Spanish that’s inverted is the signo de exclamación, or exclamation point (¡), which follows rules similar to the ones for the question mark. Explore examples of Spanish exclamations and interjections to learn how to use this punctuation mark.
What other languages use the upside-down question mark?
Spanish is the main language where the inverted question mark is standard and common, but Asturian also includes it in standard punctuation. Writers of other languages and dialects may include it because of proximity to Spanish-speaking areas or the influence of Spanish. These include Catalan, Galician, Aranese dialect, and some Indigenous languages, where some writers have adopted the Spanish punctuation.
Why doesn’t English have an upside-down question mark?
English doesn’t have an upside-down question mark because most of the time the subject and verb get inverted when we ask a question with the verb “to be”: “Are you watching television now?” For other verbs, we use an auxiliary form of “to do”: “Do you watch television every day?”
The only exception to this is when an affirmative statement is turned into a question through inflection (a change in our tone of voice): “You’re watching television now?” Readers usually have no problem figuring out that a statement is a question because our eyes tend to read ahead. Occasionally, an exceptionally long question might be perceived as a statement until we get to the question mark.
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