speech marks in spanish

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The 10 Most Important Spanish Punctuation Marks to Know

Punctuation is more important than you might think— it can save lives .

But that does not mean all punctuation marks are used the same in both Spanish and English .

By the end of this post you will be able to write with confidence without ever having to worry whether your mistakes have put lives in danger.

Why Is Learning Spanish Punctuation Important?

Essential spanish punctuation marks, 1. punto (period), 2. coma (comma), 3. dos puntos (colon), 4. punto y coma (semicolon), 5. puntos suspensivos (ellipsis), 6. signo de interrogación (question mark), 7. signo de exclamación (exclamation point), 8. guion y raya (hyphen and em-dash), 9. paréntesis (parentheses), 10. comillas españolas (angle quotes) and comillas inglesas (quotation marks), where to practice using spanish punctuation, find and correct the mistakes in the following sentences:, and one more thing….

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We all know that we finish sentences by using a period, we separate items in a list with commas and we close questions with question marks. You might think that is all you need to know, but if you really want to be fluent in Spanish, it is not!

Punctuation mastery is crucial for professional- or academic-grade writing skills . You will need it to write resumes or cover letters if you ever want to land a job in a Spanish-speaking environment .

But understanding Spanish punctuation has a broader benefit, as well—it will make Spanish grammar easier by forcing you to think about sentence structure and parts of speech.

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The period is the punctuation mark we use in order to tell the reader he or she needs to make a long pause. Generally speaking, periods come at the end of the sentence (as long as it is not a question or an exclamation) and they tell us the main idea of the sentence has been conveyed and we can make a pause.

El niño juega en el parque. (The boy is playing in the park.)

Tengo sueño. (I am sleepy.)

Easy! You convey your message and close it with a period. Cool and simple. Everybody knows that, I am sure.

What maybe not everybody knows is that there are three important different kinds of periods  in Spanish: the punto y seguido , the punto y aparte and the punto final .

If we translate their names literally, we get “period and continued,” “period and aside” and “final period,” respectively.

And what is the difference between them?

We use a punto y seguido when we keep on writing after that period without starting a new paragraph . All the periods inside a paragraph except for the last one are puntos y seguido .

For the sake of space, the following examples are not whole paragraphs but pairs of sentences together. The periods separating each pair of sentences is a punto y seguido :

Tengo sueño. Me voy a la cama. (I am sleepy. I am going to bed.)

He comprado un coche. El coche es rojo. (I have bought a car. The car is red.)

We use a punto y aparte when we want to start a new paragraph. Typically, with the punto y aparte we mark a change of topic or an idea not directly related to the previous one:

… cuando llegó.

Cerró la puerta y…

(…when she arrived.

She closed the door and…)

Finally, a punto final is any period that closes a single isolated sentence or closes the whole writing. I know it may seem a bit weird to have a specific name for something that only occurs once in a chapter, essay or composition, but since we have it, why not boast about it?

Take the closest book you have. Open it and have a look at the last sentence of the last paragraph of the last page. There will probably be a period. There you have your example of a  punto final .

The uses of the comma in Spanish and English are very similar. We mainly use it to make shorter pauses in a sentence, separate items on a list or add explanatory phrases:

Mis colores favoritos son el rojo, el amarillo y el verde. (My favorite colors are red, yellow and green.)

Mi hermano, que es médico, vive en Barcelona. (My brother, who is a doctor, lives in Barcelona)

However, there are a couple of differences between the use of the comma in American English and Spanish . Have a look:

When writing quotation marks (more on those later in this post), add the comma after them in Spanish, but include the comma before them in American English:

“Tengo sueño”, dijo María. (“I am sleepy,” said María.)

“He comprado un coche rojo”, dije. (“I have bought a red car,” I said.)

When you have a long number, especially if it is a decimal one, use commas and periods in Spanish in the opposite way you would do it in English:

Spanish: 1.234.567,89

English: 1,234,567.89

Remember one last thing regarding commas, both in Spanish and English: you typically should not separate a subject from its predicate by a comma.

Incorrect: Ella, ha comprado un coche.  (She, has bought a car.)

Correct: Ella ha comprado un coche. (She has bought a car.)

As it happened with the comma, the use of the colon in Spanish and English is pretty much the same.

Although it can be used for many different purposes, when it comes to writing, the colon is mainly used to indicate that what comes next is an explanation of what has just been said, an enumeration, a list or a quote.

For example:

Estaba cansado: había estado escribiendo toda la noche.  (He was tired: he had been writing all night long.)

When read aloud, the pause for the colon is generally longer than the comma’s, but shorter than the period’s.

You typically need to write a lowercase letter after the colon. Even though we call the colon two points in Spanish, that does not mean it follows the same rules as the period!

There is one last thing you should bear in mind when using the colon in Spanish. Everybody writes letters or emails. There are literally thousands of ways of starting a letter, but let us say the easiest one is writing “Dear Mr. X,” and then continuing on another line.

If you have a look, you will notice you add a comma after “Mr. X” in English. Avoid doing this in Spanish! Instead, use a colon because… well, just because!

So remember to write it properly when you start writing an email to your boss!

I have always loved that the semicolon is called punto y coma in Spanish, because you actually have to write a period and a comma to produce a semicolon.

But besides that, I think the semicolon is not only the punctuation mark I have used the least in my life, but also the one that took me the longest amount of time to understand!

The semicolon is some weird hybrid between a comma and a period. It is like a comma and a period but it is neither the former nor the latter… it is here to complicate our lives… only if we let it win!

The truth is, the semicolon is very easy to use, and it is used in the same exact way in both English and Spanish .

So when should we use it?

There are two main uses of the semicolon, and while one is very precise and easy to understand, the other is abstract and absolutely open to interpretation. But we will start with the easier one:

• Use the semicolon when making a list in order to separate the different items, especially if the items are long sentences and include commas. Easy. Here the semicolon acts as a “bigger brother” who tries to help the comma so it knows when each item ends.

Me gusta hacer muchas cosas, sobre todo viajar por el mundo; descubrir nuevas culturas, si tengo tiempo, claro; y comer la comida local. (I like to do a lot of things, especially travel around the world; discover new cultures, if I have the time, of course; and eat the local food).

• Use the semicolon instead of the period in order to join independent clauses if they are closely related to each other. For example:

En verano voy a España; en invierno voy a las montañas. (In summer I go to Spain; in winter I go to the mountains.)

Tu hermano es médico; mi hermano es profesor. (Your brother is a doctor; my brother is a professor.)

If the sentences are short, do not overthink it. Just use a comma:

Te amo, te adoro. (I love you, I adore you).

The ellipsis is another punctuation mark that works practically the same way in Spanish as in English .

Lately, especially thanks to the use of texts, instant messaging and emails, a lot of people tend to overuse it by adding it to the end of almost every sentence. However, the uses of the ellipsis are very well defined and we should go back to using it properly.

Of the many uses of the ellipsis, the three main ones are:

• To mark an interruption or speech that trails off. This is the main use of the ellipsis.

Pensaba que me querías… (I thought you loved me…)

Algún día lo entenderás… (Someday you will get it…)

• To show fear or suspense. This time you use the ellipsis to make a pause, but then you continue with your speech or writing:

Y entonces… lo maté. (And then… I killed him.)

Oí una voz… pero no podía ver nada… estaba temblando… (I heard a voice… but I could not see anything… I was shaking…)

• To make a non-comprehensive list of items. When you add the ellipsis at the end of the list, the reader understands there are more examples aside from the ones you are naming:

Tenemos todos los colores: azul, amarillo, rojo, rosa, verde… (We have all the colors: blue, yellow, red, pink, green…)

Algunos ejemplos de esto pueden ser perros, gatos, pájaros, conejos, peces… (Some examples of this can be dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, fish…)

The question mark is one of the easiest-to-use punctuation marks because it is universally used to close questions.

The only thing you need to remember and bear in mind is that in Spanish you need to use an inverted question mark (also known as an opening question mark) at the beginning of every question !

Do Spanish people write it? Yes, we do!

Is it necessary? Yes, it is!

Will I get lower grades if I leave it out? Yes, of course!

Forget about lazy Spanish people who now have a tendency to ignore the opening question mark when chatting or writing emails. That is as big an error as writing “velieve” instead of “believe” or using a comma at the end of a sentence. Just learn to use it, because it is a must!

Here you have some examples:

¿Qué hora es? (What time is it?)

¿Cómo te llamas? (What is your name?)

¿Estás seguro? (Are you sure?)

We have exactly the same situation when it comes to the exclamation point. We use it for the same purpose both in Spanish and English, but we need to add exclamation points at the beginning of every exclamation.

Once again, do not try to find excuses and ignore the lazy people who try not to use it. You would not start a sentence with a lowercase letter, right? Exactly…

¡Qué bonito! (How beautiful!)

¡No lo hagas! (Do not do it!)

¡Me estoy volviendo loco! (I am going crazy!)

I have a confession to make: I used to get lost every time I had to use the hyphen and the em-dash because, for me, they have always been one and the same thing, except one is longer than the other…

Do not judge me, nobody is perfect!

However, I can share a little trick with you that has made my life easier and has helped me remember (most of the time) when I should use each of them.

To put it simply, remember the following: the raya separates and the guion unites.

Once you internalize that little mnemonic, you will easily remember that we use the raya to separate the different voices in a dialog in Spanish (i.e., each new line of dialog is separated from the rest and starts with an em-dash):

—Hola, María. (—Hello, María.)

—Hola, ¿qué tal estás? (—Hello, how are you?)

— Muy bien, gracias. (—Very well, thanks.)

The em-dash can also be used in Spanish to  separate  side notes or explanatory information somewhat like parentheses,  although this usage is more common in English than Spanish .

We use the hyphen to unite . In other words, hyphens can show two words are related, show the rest of a word continues on the next line or show that two numbers form an interval.

físico-químico (physicochemical)

páginas 45-50 (pages 45-50)

There are other minor uses of the em-dash and hyphen, but if you master this little trick, you are good to go for sure!

Parentheses are another punctuation mark you use practically in the same way in Spanish as in English.

Parentheses can be used for many different purposes, but there is always one thing in common: you will always need an opening parenthesis and a closing one.

The main uses of the parentheses in Spanish are:

• To clarify aside from the main point. This use of the parentheses is quite subjective, because sometimes they can be replaced by commas and the sentence remains the same. Where should you draw the line?

There is not a universal answer to this question, but bear in mind the closer you are to the main point, the better it is to use commas:

María (mi vecina) es estudiante. María (my neighbor) is a student.

El coche de mi hermano (un BMW) es blanco. My brother’s car (a BMW) is white.

• To add meanings of abbreviations. It is not compulsory, but it is always good practice if you think the reader may have problems with the text:

OMS (Organización Mundial de la Salud). WHO (World Health Organization).

• To add dates and/or places. This is quite self-explanatory, so just have a look at the examples:

Vivo en Madrid (España) . I live in Madrid (Spain).

La Segunda Guerra Mundial (1939-1945) fue un conflicto militar global.  WWII (1939-1945) was a global military conflict.

Even though there are different kinds of quotes, almost every language has a preference and will make use of one type more often than the others .

Spanish uses three types of quotes: guillemets or angle quotes (« »), quotation marks (” “) and simple quotation marks (‘ ‘), but our favorite are the guillemets.

In recent years, more and more Spanish-speaking people are using the so-called English quotation marks (” “), but Spanish newspapers and publishing houses in general tend to stick to tradition and keep on using angle quotes.

But what are angle quotes for?

We can use angle quotes for many different reasons, but the common denominator is always one: we are marking another level in the sentence. This “new level” can be a quotation, an ironic remark, a different sense of a common word, an expression, a thought or even a foreign word, but overall it is on a different level than the rest of the sentence, and we need to indicate that.

So, imagine you are writing a text in Spanish and want to quote what an author said in a book. How would you let the reader know the following words are on a different level and have not been written or said by you? Exactly! You use angle quotes:

…como dijo José M., «Eso es una pena». (…as José M. said, “That is a pity.”)

As I have just mentioned, you can also use angle quotes to mark irony, add expressions or use words with an uncommon meaning.

Compré este vestido en una «boutique». (I bought this dress in a “boutique.”)

Eres un chico muy «inteligente». (You are a very “intelligent” guy.)

Earlier I mentioned Spanish makes use of three different kinds of quotes. But why? Well, it would be a real mess to have quotes inside of quotes inside of quotes if you used the same angle marks all the time!

Chaos, I tell you!

The following example is written twice. In the first instance, I have used angle quotes only. The second one contains three different types of quotes. Which one is more clear and prettier for you?

Entonces dijo: «Me parece que decir «compar en una «boutique»» es algo muy tonto». (Then he said: “I think saying “buying in a “boutique”” is something very silly.”)

Entonces dijo: «Me parece que decir “comprar en una ’boutique'” es algo muy tonto». (Then he said: “I think saying ‘buying in a ’boutique” is something very silly.”)

Now that you have studied the theory, how about doing some exercises so you can check if you have understood everything?

In the first part of this section, you will have some sentences with punctuation errors. Your task will be to find the errors and correct them.

You will find the correct answers just below.

In the second part, I will give you some external links where you can practice more Spanish punctuation if you feel you still need some more.

Are you ready?

Pepe, corre por el parque.

Me gusta cocinar

Compré uno verde; uno amarillo y uno azul.

Nació en Sevilla, España.

No sabía lo que significaba “bailar el agua”.

Una ONG – Organización No Gubernamental – es imprescindible en la zona.

No puedo lo siento.

He comprado zumo. Manzanas, peras y leche.

Pepe corre por el parque.

Me gusta cocinar.

Compré uno verde, uno amarillo y uno azul.

Nació en Sevilla (España).

No sabía lo que significaba « bailar el agua » .

Una ONG (Organización No Gubernamental) es imprescindible en la zona.

No puedo, lo siento.

He comprado zumo, manzanas, peras y leche.

All these punctuation marks may be confusing at the beginning, but I promise after you do a couple of exercises, you will learn to see the differences.

I hope after reading this post you feel more comfortable when presented with writing assignments or any time you need to write a letter or email to your friend or your new boss! You will certainly see your Spanish writing improve.

I have thoroughly enjoyed showing you a little part of the marvelous world of punctuation, and I really hope you have enjoyed learning about it as well.

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How to Write Dialogues in Spanish for Maximum Clarity

Have you ever seen a Spanish dialogue and thought it looks a bit different from an English one? 

If you haven’t seen one yet, let me show you!

On my bookshelf, I have two editions of One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad) by Gabriel García Márquez: one is in English and the other is a 2007 commemorative edition from the Royal Spanish Academy (Real Academia Española). 

Here are two lines of a dialogue between José Aureliano Buendía and the gypsy:

Desconcertado, sabiendo que los niños esperaban una explicación inmediata, José Arcadio Buendía se atrevió a murmurar:  —Es el diamante más grande del mundo.  —No —corrigió el gitano—. Es hielo.

Disconcerted, knowing that the children were waiting for an immediate explanation, José Arcadio Buendía ventured a murmur:  “It’s the largest diamond in the world.”  “No,” the gypsy countered. “It’s ice.”

Notice the glaring differences in punctuation? 

Keep reading to learn why Spanish dialogues look different and how to write them in Spanish!

Angular Quotation Marks, Double Quotation Marks, or Long Dashes?

As you can see in the dialogue above, Spanish uses long dashes called rayas (—) as dialogue punctuation. Conversely, English uses double quotation marks. 

Some Spanish writers use double quotation marks or angular quotation marks (« and »), but the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) says it should be rayas .  

In this article, I follow the official RAE recommendations by using rayas . However, I also tell you what to watch for when using double or angular quotation marks. 

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How to Punctuate Dialogues in Spanish

To write dialogue in Spanish, you need to do a bit more than change the quotation marks into long dashes. 

Here are a few more factors to take into account!

1. Punctuation Goes Outside Quotation Marks

Whereas in American English, commas and periods go inside the quotation marks, in Spanish, they always go outside. 

No matter whether you use quotation marks (double or angular) instead of long dashes, you must apply this rule.

“No me gusta su gato”, dijo Pedro. «No me gusta su gato», dijo Pedro.

“I don’t like his cat,” Peter said.

Fun fact! It’s also the rule in British English for punctuation to go outside single quotation marks.

2. Long Dashes Precede New Speakers

In Spanish dialogue, the long dash precedes the intervention of each of the speakers, without having to mention their names.

—¿Cuándo te escribirás a un curso de español?  —No tengo ni idea.  —Apúrate, tienen una promoción en la escuela de la esquina.  —Gracias, voy a verlo esta tarde.

“When will you enroll in a Spanish course?” “I have no idea.” “Hurry up, they have a promotion at the school around the corner.” “Thanks, I’m going to check it this afternoon.”

Normally, in Spanish novels, what each character says appears on a new line, just like in English.

No space goes between the long dash and the character’s words and the closing of what the character says ends with punctuation, not with another long dash.

3. Long Dashes Introduce the Narrator’s Comments

Narrative texts also use long dashes to introduce or frame the narrator’s comments. 

—Tengo hambre —dijo Pedro. —Tengo hambre —dijo Pedro—. Voy a prepararme algo.

“I’m hungry,” Peter said. “I’m hungry,” said Pedro. “I’m going to prepare something.”

You use the long dash to introduce the character’s words at the beginning of the line. Later, you use it only to introduce or frame what the narrator says, such as: 

—dijo Pedro—

It’s not necessary to add the long dash again to introduce additional character dialogue. 

Now, we need to consider two situations when alluding to the narrator’s comments. They may use “speaking verbs” to credit the speech to the character who said it or it may refer to something completely different (as you’ll see).

Punctuation With Speaking Verbs

When the narrator indicates that a character is speaking, they use so-called “speaking verbs,” such as: dijo (said) , respondió (answered) , and preguntó (asked) . 

Some formatting standards to keep in mind include:

• Leaving a space between what the character says and the long dash that introduces the narrator’s comment.
• Not leaving a space between the long dash and the narrator’s comment

—Tengo hambre —dijo Pedro.  “I’m hungry,” said Pedro.

• The narrator’s comment begins in lowercase:

 —dijo Pedro.

• The punctuation mark corresponding to the character’s phrase is closed after the narrator’s clarification, whether it’s a comma, period or semicolon.

—Tengo hambre —dijo Pedro. —Tengo hambre —dijo Pedro—. Voy a prepararme algo. —Tengo hambre —dijo Pedro—, y tengo sed. —Tengo hambre —dijo Pedro—; y tengo sed.

• If the punctuation mark that you want to put after the narrator’s entry is a colon, write it after the closing long dash:

—Ayer salí a correr —y añadió: Ahí conocí a alguien. “I went out for a run yesterday,” and added, “I met someone there.”

• If the punctuation mark that corresponds to the character’s phrase is a question mark, exclamation mark, or ellipsis (…), they should always close before the narrator’s intervention

—¿Tienes hambre? —preguntó María. —¡No comas esto! —gritó Juan—. ¡Es veneno!

Notice how the narrator’s intervention starts in lowercase even though there is a punctuation mark before that would require an uppercase letter. 

Make sure you don’t make the mistake of capitalizing the speaking verb:

—¿Tienes hambre? —Preguntó María. (incorrect)

• If the dialogue continues, it closes with a long dash after the narrator’s intervention.

—Tengo hambre —dijo Pedro—. Voy a prepararme algo.

Common Speaking Verbs in Spanish Dialogue

Here is a list of the most common speaking verbs in the third-person past tense:

You can use these verbs to vary your narrator’s comments in a Spanish dialogue, but remember that the narrator’s comments should be transparent. Using overly sophisticated speaking verbs may trip up the reader. 

Punctuation Without Speaking Verbs

When you introduce the narrator’s comment that includes “non-speaking verbs,” there are a few more rules to remember:

• The character’s words must be closed with a period and the narrator’s phrase must begin with a capital letter.

—No te preocupes. —Cerró la puerta y salió corriendo. “Don’t worry.” He closed the door and ran out.

• If the character’s speech continues after the narrator’s comment, write the period that marks the end of the narrator’s comment after the closing long dash.

—No te preocupes. —Cerró la puerta y salió corriendo—. Volveré pronto. “Don’t worry.” He closed the door and ran out. “I’ll come back soon.”

Punctuation for Thoughts

What do you do when your character thinks rather than says the words aloud? Use angular quotation marks instead of long dashes.

«Tengo hambre», pensó Pedro. “I’m hungry,” Pedro thought.

—Puedes hacerlo —le dije y pensé «pero te costará mucho trabajo». “You can do it,” I told him and thought, “but it will cost you lots of work.”

Practice Your Spanish before Writing a Spanish Dialogue

Now you know how to write dialogue in Spanish between two friends or characters. Congratulate yourself on taking yet another step towards fluency in Spanish! 

While traveling to a Spanish-speaking country is enough motivation for most Spanish learners, if writing is your thing, other possibilities await you.

Just imagine, one day you could become a bilingual writer! 

Yes, there are some bilingual writers who write books in their second or even third language. Sometimes they are able to publish books in all the languages they know. Isn’t it amazing?

Our 1-on-1 classes at Homeschool Spanish Academy will help you improve your language skills faster than if you were studying alone. To see if it works for you, sign up for a free class with one of our amazing, Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala. Show them your Spanish dialogues and scripts to practice them with a professional! 

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Spanish Punctuation Marks: The Complete Guide | Learn, Mastering

• 25 Feb, 2024
• 5 Mins Read

There are 18 punctuation marks in Spanish. Examples of the most commonly used Spanish punctuation marks are punto, coma, dos puntos, barra, signo de interregación, signo de exclamación.

Spanish Punctuation forms the basis of written language. They express the meaning of the sentence and provide effective communication. Punctuation in Spanish is the same as in other languages. Knowing Spanish punctuation marks is necessary to write Spanish accurately and fluently.

Table of Contents

Punto – Period(.)

Coma – comma(,), dos puntos – colon(:), punto y coma – semicolon(;), puntos suspensivos -ellipsis(…), signo de interrogación – question mark(), signs de exclamación – exclamation mark(), comillas – quotation marks(«»), barra – slash(/), how to make spanish punctuation marks on the keyboard, how to use punctuation marks in spanish.

The types of punctuation in Spanish are listed below.

 The period, known as “punto” in Spanish, is the most fundamental punctuation mark. It serves the same purpose as in English, indicating the end of a sentence or an abbreviation. For example:

• El niño juega en el parque. (The boy is playing in the park.)
• Tengo sueño. (I am sleepy.)

The period is straightforward to use, and it signifies the completion of a thought or idea. It is worth noting that there are three types of periods in Spanish: “punto y seguido,” “punto y aparte,” and “punto final.” These variations indicate different contexts within a paragraph, indicating whether to continue within the same section or start a new paragraph.

 The comma, known as “coma” in Spanish, is another essential punctuation mark that assists in creating clarity and conveying meaning. It is used to indicate pauses, separate items in a list, and set off clauses or phrases within a sentence.

In Spanish, the usage of the comma is similar to English, with a few notable differences. Unlike in English, Spanish does not use the Oxford comma (a comma before the conjunction “and” in a list). Additionally, when using quotation marks, the comma is placed after the closing quotation mark in Spanish, while it is placed before in English. For example:

• Mis colores favoritos son el rojo, el amarillo y el verde. (My favorite colors are red, yellow, and green.)
• “Te amo”, le dijo con una sonrisa en la cara. (“I love you,” he said with a smile on his face.)

The colon, known as “dos puntos” in Spanish, is used to introduce an explanation, list, enumeration, or quotation. It signals that what follows the colon provides further information or elaborates on the preceding statement. For example:

• Estaba cansado: había estado escribiendo toda la noche. (He was tired: he had been writing all night long.)
• Los signos de puntuación son los siguientes: el punto, la coma, el punto y coma, etc. (The punctuation marks are as follows: period, comma, semicolon, etc.)

The semicolon, known as “punto y coma” in Spanish, is a versatile punctuation mark that bridges the gap between a comma and a period. It indicates a longer pause than a comma but shorter than a period. The semicolon is primarily used to separate closely related independent clauses and to clarify complex lists or ideas. For example:

• En verano voy a España; en invierno voy a las montañas. (In summer I go to Spain; in winter I go to the mountains.)
• En la reunión se discutirán los avances en el programa de pagos automáticos; las nuevas ideas de producto; los ganadores del premio de puntualidad y las propuestas para la cena de Navidad. (At the meeting, we’ll discuss the advances in the automatic payments program; the new product ideas; the winners of the attendance and punctuality prize, and the proposals for the Christmas party.)

The ellipsis, known as “puntos suspensivos” in Spanish, serves the same purpose as in English. It indicates an omission, creates suspense or expectation, or suggests a trailing off of thought. The ellipsis can also be used to express hesitation or uncertainty. For example:

• Si tan solo… bueno, ya no importa. (If only… well, it doesn’t matter anymore.)

In Spanish, the question mark is called “signo de interrogación.” It is used in the same way as in English, with one key difference: Spanish requires an upside-down question mark at the beginning of a question in addition to the regular question mark at the end. For example:

• ¿Cómo te llamas? (What’s your name?)
• ¿De dónde eres? (Where are you from?)

Similar to the question mark, the exclamation point in Spanish is called “signo de exclamación.” It is used to convey strong emotions, exclamations, or direct commands. Like the question mark, Spanish requires an upside-down exclamation point at the beginning of an exclamation. For example:

• ¡Qué maravilloso! (How marvelous!)
• ¡Cuidado! (Be careful!)

Quotation marks, known as “comillas” in Spanish, are used to indicate direct speech, quotes, or titles of short works. Spanish utilizes different types of quotation marks for aesthetic purposes, such as angled quotation marks (“comillas españolas”) and straight quotation marks (“comillas inglesas”). For example:

• “Tengo sueño”, dijo María. (“I am sleepy,” said María.)
• Quiero leer «Romeo y Julieta». (I want to read “Romeo and Juliet.”)

The slash, known as “barra” in Spanish, is a special character used to indicate alternatives, dates, or fractions. It can be used to replace the conjunction “or” in lists or to express a range of possibilities. For example:

• El libro está escrito en inglés/español. (The book is written in English/Spanish.)
• La reunión será el 10/03/2022. (The meeting will be on 10/03/2022.)

Mastering Spanish punctuation marks is essential for effective communication and accurate expression in writing. By understanding the usage and nuances of each punctuation mark, you can elevate your Spanish language skills and convey your thoughts and ideas with clarity and precision.

Each of these marks serves a unique purpose, and understanding their usage will enhance your writing and enable you to communicate more effectively in Spanish.

To use Spanish punctuation marks on your keyboard, you must hold down the “ALT” or “CTRL” keys and click on the relevant punctuation mark.

Patricia Doval

Patricia Doval is a Spanish linguist at onlinelearnspanish.com. She holds a Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Western Ontario, specializing in language contact. She's a bilingual Spanish-English. She has a master's in Spanish grammar and is responsible for our grammar-related articles.

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Writing Dialogues in Spanish - Punctuation

Spanish grammar.

Dialogues in Spanish start with a long dash – (raya) not a short dash - (guión).

In this article, we will simply call the long dash, a dash.

–Estoy listo. (= "I am ready")

Notice how there is no space between the dash and the first letter.

Dialogues do not end in a dash (–) , only the normal punctuation sign (normally a full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark).

Punctuation with Attributives

A dash is also used to introduce an attributive. An attributive in a dialogue credits the speech to the person who said it. It refers to a verb or action associated with speaking and who said it.

–dijo él. (= he said) –respondió ella. (= she responded) –preguntó. (= he/she asked)

Again, the dash is joined to first letter of the first word. Also notice how that first word, normally a “speaking” verb starts with a lowercase letter.

More examples of “speaking” verbs in Spanish are:

aceptó (accepted), aconsejó (advised), admitió (admitted), afirmó (affirmed/asserted), amenazó (threatened), bromeó (joked), comentó (commented), concluyó (concluded), dijo (said), gritó (shouted), mintió (lied), preguntó (asked), prometió (promised), repitió (repeated), respondió (responded), rogó (begged), sugirió (suggested), susurró (whispered).

Now let’s look at both parts joined together: The speech and the attributive.

–Estoy lista –dijo ella.

There is no period (full stop) at the end of the first part since it is continued by an attributive. We can only put a question mark, an explanation mark or ellipsis (three dots) in the speech part when it is followed by an attributive. See how there is a space between what is being said and the dash that is joined to the attributive. Remember, the speaker’s attributive begins with a lowercase letter.

–¿Estás bien? –preguntó Diego. –Sí, estoy bien –le contestó Angélica con una sonrisa.

The speech of each person is written a separate line. The first speech has the question marks directly after the words. The second speech does NOT have the period (full stop) directly after what is said. Here it appears at the end of the attributive.

What happens if there is more dialogue after the attributive?

–Estoy lista –dijo ella–. Me voy a la fiesta.

First we add a dash to the end of the attributive. This is followed by the final punctuation mark of the first part of speech. In the example above, Estoy lista should end in a period (full stop) but instead, it goes after the dash at the end of the attributive. Since it is a new sentence, the second part begins with a capital letter.

If it helps, you can think of the dashes in –dijo ella– as parentheses.

But look at the following:

–Estoy lista –dijo ella–, y nadie me va a parar.

Here the dialogue is a longer sentence that is interrupted by the attributive. Since the punctuation mark is a comma, the second part continues with a lowercase letter.

However, if the first part ends in a question mark, exclamation mark or an ellipsis (three dots), then this goes at the end of the first part.

–¡Estás loco! –gritó Daniel–. Tienes que parar inmediatamente.

If the narrator’s comment has nothing to do with a speaking or thinking verb (including related actions like shouting, whispering etc.) then the narrator’s sentence begins with a capital letter.

–Me voy. –Cerró la puerta y salió.

Using the Colon in dialogue

Until now, we have only seen the attributive (speaking verb) after what is being said. However, sometimes you have what the narrator says before the speech. In this case we use a colon after the "speaking verb".

Mi madre dijo: –Vamos en diez minutos.

Le preguntó al doctor: –¿Estaré bien?

The dialogue goes on the next line.

Punctuation when thinking

When a person is directly THINKING instead of speaking, then the punctuation « » (comillas) are used instead of the dash. These are known as comillas angulares , comillas latinas , and also comillas españolas .

«¡Qué aburrido!», pensé. Pero no me atreví a decirlo. «Hay algo raro aquí», pensó el detective. –Puedes llegar a ser un buen jugador –le expliqué y pensé, «aunque nunca tan bueno como yo».

Notice the position of the period (full stop) and comma go after the final closing comilla.

Punctuation when quoting

Quotes, or repeating what someone else has said, are enclosed in comillas.

Fue Descartes quien dijo: «Pienso, luego existo» . Sus últimas palabras fueron: «No pasará nada» .

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Lesson 2 – Spanish Speech Markers (Marcadores del Discurso)

What are “los marcadores del discurso”.

The Spanish speech markers (“Los marcadores del discurso”) are linguistic elements that help to structure and organize a text or speech. They serve as connectors or links between sentences, providing cohesion and coherence to the discourse. In Spanish, these markers can be words or phrases that indicate the relationship between the ideas expressed, making it easier for the reader or listener to follow the flow of the text.

Let’s start with the connectors

Connectors (los conectores)

These are the markers that link one part of the speech with a previous one. Their function is to maintain logical relationships or dependencies between the ideas conveyed by different statements.

They can be

• María y Juan fueron al cine.
• No me gusta la comida picante. Además , soy alérgico a los camarones.
• Me gusta leer libros de ciencia ficción. También disfruto de las películas de ese género.
• Estudia mucho para sus exámenes. Asimismo , participa en actividades extracurriculares.
• No me gusta el café ni el té.

Consecutivos

• No tenía dinero, entonces no pudo comprar el libro.
• Estaba lloviendo, por lo tanto , decidimos quedarnos en casa.
• No había luz en la casa, así que encendimos velas.
• No estudió para el examen, en consecuencia , reprobó.
• El tráfico estaba terrible, de modo que llegamos tarde al evento.

Contraargumentativos

• Me gusta el cine, pero no quiero ir hoy.
• Estaba cansado, sin embargo , siguió trabajando.
• Aunque tenía miedo, decidió enfrentar la situación.
• Sabía que era difícil, no obstante , se esforzó al máximo.
• A él le gusta el fútbol, en cambio , a ella le gusta el baloncesto.

Justificativos

• No fui a la fiesta porque estaba enfermo.
• No puedo ir al cine contigo ya que tengo mucho trabajo.
• No salimos a caminar puesto que estaba lloviendo.
• El vuelo se retrasó debido a mal tiempo.
• La carretera estaba cerrada a causa de un accidente.

Condicionales

• Si estudias, aprobarás el examen.
• Lleva un paraguas en caso de que llueva.
• No podrás entrar a menos que tengas una invitación.
• Puedes usar mi coche siempre que lo devuelvas antes de las 10 pm.
• Te ayudaré a condición de que me lo pidas.

Information structurers

• These speech markers serve to signal the beginning, continuity, or closure of an idea within a text or speech. They help to guide the reader or listener through the development of the argument or narrative.

They can be “de”

• Para empezar , quiero decir que estoy de acuerdo con la propuesta.
• En primer lugar , debemos analizar la situación actual.
• Antes que nada , agradezco la oportunidad de hablar ante ustedes.
• En segundo lugar , es importante considerar las posibles soluciones.
• La empresa ha tenido éxito en el pasado. Además , cuenta con un equipo altamente capacitado.
• El proyecto es costoso. Por otro lado , tiene el potencial de generar ingresos significativos.
• En resumen , la propuesta tiene ventajas y desventajas, pero vale la pena considerarla.
• Por último , quiero agradecer a todos por su atención y participación.
• En conclusión , creo que debemos seguir adelante con el proyecto.

Comentadores (Commentary)

• El proyecto es ambicioso, es decir , requerirá de mucho esfuerzo y dedicación.
• La situación es complicada; en otras palabras , no hay una solución fácil.
• A mi parecer , la mejor opción es seguir adelante con la propuesta.
• Desde mi punto de vista , debemos ser cautelosos al tomar una decisión.
• En efecto , los datos muestran que la estrategia ha sido exitosa.

Digresores (Digressions)

• A propósito , ¿has hablado con Juan sobre el tema?
• Por cierto , me encontré con María ayer y me comentó sobre los cambios en la empresa.
• A todo esto , ¿qué pasó con el informe que ibas a presentar?
• Volviendo al tema , creo que debemos centrarnos en las prioridades principales.
• En cuanto a la propuesta, creo que debemos analizarla detenidamente antes de tomar una decisión.

Reformulating speech markers

are used to rephrase, clarify or summarize information within a text or speech. They help to ensure that the intended message is conveyed accurately and effectively. We will explore four main categories of reformulating discourse markers: explicativos, rectificativos, de distanciamiento, and recapitulativos.

Explicativos (Explanatory)

• La situación es complicada; o sea , no hay una solución fácil.
• No estoy de acuerdo con la propuesta. Me explico , creo que hay otras opciones más viables.
• No me gusta el diseño. Aclaro , no es que esté mal hecho, sino que prefiero otro estilo.
• El proceso es lento y tedioso; en otras palabras , llevará tiempo completarlo.

Rectificativos (Rectifying)

• El proyecto es costoso, mejor dicho , es una inversión importante.
• La reunión es mañana, no hoy. Rectifico , me equivoqué en la fecha.
• En realidad , la situación no es tan grave como parece.
• De hecho , los datos demuestran que la estrategia ha sido exitosa.
• El problema no es la falta de recursos, más bien es la mala administración de los mismos.

De Distanciamiento (Distancing)

• La propuesta tiene ventajas. Sin embargo , también presenta desventajas importantes.
• Aunque entiendo tu punto de vista, no estoy de acuerdo con él.
• El equipo ha trabajado duro. No obstante , los resultados no son los esperados.
• La idea es interesante, pero creo que necesita más desarrollo.
• A pesar de los contratiempos, seguimos adelante con el proyecto.

Recapitulativos (Recapitulating)

• En síntesis , el proyecto presenta oportunidades de crecimiento y desarrollo.
• Para concluir , creo que debemos seguir adelante con el proyecto.
• En pocas palabras , la situación es complicada pero no imposible de resolver.
• En suma , los beneficios superan los riesgos y debemos continuar con la propuesta.

Argumentative operators

“Los operadores argumentativos,” are essential tools for constructing logical and persuasive arguments in both written and spoken Spanish. They help to establish relationships between ideas and guide the reader or listener through the argument. We will examine two main categories of argumentative operators: gradativos and no gradativos.

Gradativos (Gradual)

• En primer lugar , debemos analizar los datos disponibles.
• Además , es importante tener en cuenta las opiniones de los expertos.
• También debemos considerar las posibles consecuencias a largo plazo.
• Asimismo , es crucial evaluar los costos y beneficios.
• Por último , debemos tomar una decisión basada en la información recopilada.

No Gradativos (Non-gradual)

No gradativos are argumentative operators that do not indicate a gradual progression or hierarchy within an argument. Instead, they help to establish relationships between ideas, such as cause and effect, contrast, or concession. Some common no gradativos include:

Causales (Causal)

• No podemos continuar con el proyecto porque no tenemos suficientes recursos.
• Puesto que no hay consenso, debemos buscar otra solución.
• No es posible avanzar ya que no hemos recibido la aprobación necesaria.

Concesivos (Concessive)

• Aunque hay argumentos en contra, creo que debemos seguir adelante.
• La propuesta tiene sus desventajas, sin embargo , sus beneficios son mayores.
• No obstante las dificultades, el equipo logró cumplir con los objetivos.

Contrastivos (Contrastive)

• La idea es interesante, pero necesita más desarrollo.
• La opción A es más costosa, en cambio , la opción B es más económica.
• La empresa X ha tenido éxito, mientras que la empresa Y ha enfrentado dificultades.

Informal Discourse Markers

• ¿Vamos al cine? – Pues sí, me parece buena idea. (Shall we go to the movies? – Well, yes, that sounds like a good idea.)
• ¿Qué te parece la propuesta? – Pues … no sé, tengo que pensarlo. (What do you think about the proposal? – Well… I don’t know, I have to think about it.)
• No puedo ir a la fiesta, pues tengo que estudiar para un examen. (I can’t go to the party, as I have to study for an exam.)
• Ya entiendo lo que quieres decir. (Now I understand what you’re saying.)
• Ya veo que tienes razón. (I see that you’re right.)
• Ya terminé el trabajo. (I’ve already finished the work.)
• Hombre , ¡no me esperaba verte aquí! (Man, I didn’t expect to see you here!)
• Hombre , no estoy de acuerdo con esa idea. (Man, I don’t agree with that idea.)
• Hombre , tienes que ver esta película. (Man, you have to see this movie.)
• Mujer , ¡cuánto tiempo sin verte! (Girl, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you!)
• Mujer , creo que te estás equivocando. (Girl, I think you’re mistaken.)
• Mujer , este restaurante es increíble. (Girl, this restaurant is amazing.)
• Hija , ¿estás bien? Te ves cansada. (Sweetheart, are you okay? You look tired.)
• Hijo , ¡no sabía que venías a visitarme! (Son, I didn’t know you were coming to visit me!)
• Hija , no te preocupes tanto por lo que piensen los demás. (Sweetheart, don’t worry so much about what others think.)

Understanding Basic Spanish Punctuation

sgrunden/Pixabay

• Writing Skills
• History & Culture
• Pronunciation
• B.A., Seattle Pacific University

Spanish punctuation is so much like English's that some textbooks and reference books don't even discuss it. But there are a few significant differences.

Learn all the Spanish punctuation marks and their names. The marks whose uses are significantly different than those of English are explained below.

Punctuation Used in Spanish

• . : punto, punto final (period)
• , : coma (comma)
• : : dos puntos (colon)
• ; : punto y coma ( semicolon )
• — : raya (dash)
• - : guión (hyphen)
• « » : comillas (quotation marks)
• " : comillas (quotation marks)
• ' : comillas simples (single quotation marks)
• ¿ ? : principio y fin de interrogación (question marks)
• ¡ ! : principio y fin de exclamación o admiración (exclamation points)
• ( ) : paréntesis (parenthesis)
• [ ] : corchetes, parénteses cuadrados (brackets)
• { } : corchetes (braces, curly brackets)
• * : asterisco ( asterisk )
• ... : puntos suspensivos (ellipsis)

Question Marks

In Spanish, question marks are used at the beginning and the end of a question. If a sentence contains more than a question, the question marks frame the question when the question part comes at the end of the sentence.

• Si no te gusta la comida, ¿por qué la comes?
• If you don't like the food, why are you eating it?

Only the last four words form the question, and thus the inverted question mark, comes near the middle of the sentence.

• ¿Por qué la comes si no te gusta la comida?
• Why are you eating the food if you don't like it?

Since the question part of the sentence comes at the beginning, the entire sentence is surrounded by question marks.

• Katarina, ¿qué haces hoy?
• Katarina, what are you doing today?

Exclamation Point

Exclamation points are used in the same way as question marks are except to indicate exclamations instead of questions. Exclamation marks are also sometimes used for direct commands. If a sentence contains a question and an exclamation, it is okay to use one of the marks at the beginning of the sentence and the other at the end.

• Vi la película la noche pasada. ¡Qué susto!
• I saw the movie last night. What a fright!
• ¡Qué lástima, estás bien?
• What a pity, are you all right?

It is acceptable in Spanish to use up to three consecutive exclamation points to show emphasis.

• ¡¡¡No lo creo!!!

I don't believe it!

In regular text, the period is used essentially the same as in English, coming at the end of sentences and most abbreviations. However, in Spanish numerals, a comma is often used instead of a period and vice versa. In U.S. and Mexican Spanish, however, the same pattern as English is often followed.

• Ganó $16.416,87 el año pasado.
• She earned $16,416.87 last year.

This punctuation would be used in Spain and most of Latin America.

• Ganó $16,416.87 el año pasado.
• She earned $16,416.87 last year.

This punctuation would be used primarily in Mexico, the U.S., and Puerto Rico.

The comma usually is used the same as in English, being used to indicate a break in thought or to set off clauses or words. One difference is that in lists, there is no comma between the next-to-last item and the y , whereas in English some writers use a comma before the "and." This use in English is sometimes called the serial comma or the Oxford comma.

• Compré una camisa, dos zapatos y tres libros.
• I bought a shirt, two shoes, and three books.
• Vine, vi y vencí.
• I came, I saw, I conquered .

The dash is used most frequently in Spanish to indicate a change in speakers during a dialogue, thus replacing quotation marks. In English, it is customary to separate each speaker's remarks into a separate paragraph, but that typically isn't done in Spanish.

• — ¿Cómo estás? — Muy bien ¿y tú? — Muy bien también.
• "How are you?"
• "I'm fine. And you?"
• "I'm fine too."

Dashes can also be used to set off material from the rest of the text, much as they are in English.

• Si quieres una taza de café — es muy cara — puedes comprarla aquí.
• If you want a cup of coffee — it's very expensive — you can buy it here.

Angled Quotation Marks

The angled quotation marks and the English-style quotation marks are equivalent. The choice is primarily a matter of regional custom or the capabilities of the typesetting system. The angled quotation marks are more common in Spain than in Latin America, perhaps because they are used in some other Romance languages (such as French).

The main difference between the English and Spanish uses of quotation marks is that sentence punctuation in Spanish goes outside the quote marks, while in American English the punctuation is on the inside.

• Quiero leer "Romeo y Julieta".

I want to read "Romeo and Juliet."

• Quiero leer «Romeo y Julieta».
• 3 Key Differences Between English and Spanish Punctuation
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• How to Use Angular Quotation Marks in Spanish
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• Exclamations in Spanish
• How to Use a Semicolon in Spanish
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• Using 'No' and Related Words in Spanish
• 10 Facts About Spanish Prepositions
• Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns in Spanish
• Writing Dates in Spanish
• Using the Spanish Conjunction ‘Y’

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The Complete Guide To Spanish Punctuation

Understanding Spanish punctuation is a key part of learning Spanish reading and writing. While most Spanish punctuation marks will be familiar to you, some of them are used slightly differently or have different meanings.

Knowing how to use Spanish punctuation marks correctly will make your written Spanish more accurate and improve your chances of success in a Spanish-language job or academic environment.

It will also help you improve your reading comprehension and interpret Spanish texts more accurately – from newspapers to novels.

In this post, you'll discover some of the most common Spanish punctuation marks and how to use them. You'll also look at their names in Spanish, so that you can identify them when you hear people talk about them in conversation.

By the way, if you want to learn Spanish fast and have fun, my top recommendation for language learners is my Uncovered courses, which teach you through StoryLearning®.  Click here  to find out about my beginner course, Spanish Uncovered and try out the method for free.

22 Punctuation Marks And Symbols In Spanish

To start, here's a handy list of Spanish punctuation marks. In the next section, you'll discover how to use them.

How To Use Punctuation Marks In Spanish

Punto (Period/Full Stop)

The period or full stop is one of the most common punctuation marks in any language. Just like in English, it’s used to mark the end of a sentence in written Spanish. However, Spanish has three different types of periods depending on where it’s used in the sentence:

• When the paragraph continues you use punto y seguido
• Punto y aparte is used for ending a paragraph
• You use punto final for ending an entire document

These periods all look the same, so you don’t really need to be on the lookout for them; it’s only really important if you’re discussing the text academically.

The punto can be used in other contexts too. As in English, it’s used in urls and email addresses: instead of “dot com,” .com is read as punto com .

The period is also used for abbreviations, such as:

• Sr. ( Señor)
• c.c. ( centímetros cúbicos )
• EE. UU. ( Estados Unidos)

You can also use a period when referring to the time. This is more common than using a colon, as we do English. For example, 1 o’clock is 1.00 instead of 1:00.

Finally, the period is used to write numerals . Unlike in English, though, the period and comma are reversed. Periods are used to separate thousands, while a comma is used to separate decimals. For example, a large sum might look like this:

Keep in mind that if you encounter numerals in the U.S. or Mexico , they’ll typically follow U.S. conventions, so they would be written like this:

We won’t spend any time here on the colon ( dos puntos ), semicolon ( punto y coma) , or ellipsis ( punto suspensivos) because they’re used just as they are in English.

Next, let's look at the coma (comma).

Coma (Comma)

The coma, or comma, is another punctuation mark that’s used a lot like it is in written English. We’ve already seen one use for it (as a decimal marker), but it’s also used in written text to separate different parts of a sentence.

For example:

One difference that you may notice is that Spanish doesn’t use the Oxford comma. Or a comma after the second-to-last item in a list. In English, the use of the Oxford comma varies from country to country. But in Spanish, it’s avoided entirely.

This means that if you’re listing three or more items, you don’t include a comma before the word “ y ” or “and,” even if you would ordinarily use it in English.

Next you'll discover one of the punctuation marks that differs most from English.

Signos De Interrogación Y Exclamación (Question Marks And Exclamation Points)

The use of question marks and exclamation points is one of the most visible differences between English and Spanish punctuation marks.

Those upside-down questions marks are hard to miss when reading written Spanish. But you can struggle to find them on a keyboard when trying to type in Spanish!

These punctuation marks serve the same purpose in Spanish – to ask a question or to show excitement – but you must use them before and after the phrase.

Omitting the inverted question mark at the beginning may happen in some contexts, such as a text message or social media post, but it looks unprofessional in formal writing.

It’s important to note that in some cases, only part of the sentence needs to be included within the question marks or exclamation points. For example, if the name of the person who’s being addressed comes at the beginning of the sentence, it isn’t included:

But everything that comes after the first question mark or exclamation point is included:

You’ll notice that the first word of the question or exclamation isn’t capitalised, unless it’s at the beginning of the sentence or happens to be a proper noun or name.

For an explanation (in Spanish) of how to use Spanish question and exclamation marks, hit play on the video below from the StoryLearning Spanish YouTube channel.

Multiple Spanish Punctuation Marks

You can also use question marks and exclamation points together, which isn’t common in formal English, as well as multiple exclamation points to increase the emphasis:

As you can see, either the question mark or exclamation point can be used first, or they can be combined in either order.

Comillas (Quotation Marks)

Comillas, or quotation marks, come in several different forms in Spanish. Firstly, there’s the angled quotation mark (« »), or comilla española, which you'll find in European Spanish and other Romance languages like French.

Secondly, there’s the English quotation mark (“ “), or comillas inglesas , and also the single quotation mark, comilla simple , which in English also serves as an apostrophe. But these quotation marks are more commonly used in Latin American Spanish.

You can use quotation marks just as you would in English: to identify a quotation or dialogue, or to write the title of a book or movie:

While comillas are mostly used the same way in both languages, you might notice a few differences in how other punctuation marks are applied.

For example, in Spanish, you’ll need to use a punto after the quotation mark, even if it already includes another mark, like a question mark or exclamation point, that would be sufficient in English.

Also, English allows for some marks, like the comma, to fall within the quotation marks even if it isn’t part of the title of a book or movie; Spanish does not.

Because of the above rules you’ll occasionally end up with more punctuation marks in a row than would be natural in English.

Other Spanish Punctuation Marks And Symbols

So far, you've seen most of the major Spanish punctuation marks that you need to know in order to read and write in Spanish . But there are a few other symbols you may encounter, such as accent marks and numerical symbols.

Accent marks in Spanish are called tildes , although in English, we use the term tilde to refer only to a single diacritical mark, the (~) that goes over the letter n .

In Spanish, this isn’t actually treated as an accent mark, because the n and ñ are distinct letters of the Spanish alphabet! Instead, the (~) is referred to as virgulilla .

You can learn more about how and when to use Spanish accent marks in the video below.

When it comes to numerical symbols, (%) is referred to as por ciento , while (+) and (-) are más and menos .

It’s a good idea to be familiar with the names of these symbols, because they may come up when speaking aloud in Spanish. For example, a phone number with an area code (+57) would be pronounced as más cinco siete .

Likewise, some common Internet symbols have different names in Spanish. The at sign (@) is called arroba , while the backslash is barra invertida (although may be referred to as “slash” even in spoken Spanish). Guion bajo refers to an underscore.

If you listen to Spanish podcasts , you may hear the host invite you to email them at an address like “ info guion bajo 2021 arroba podcast punto com”, which means:

[email protected]

How To Type Spanish Punctuation Marks On Your Keyboard

Learning Spanish punctuation marks is fairly easy. But typing in Spanish on your keyboard is a different story. Depending on your operating system, you can use keyboard shortcuts to access Spanish punctuation marks, such as the ¡ and ¿.

On a Mac, you can use the Option key for some of them. Opt + 1 gives you an inverted exclamation point, while Opt + Shift + ? gets you an inverted question mark.

However, other devices have different keyboard shortcuts, so we won’t go into them all here.

Spanish Punctuation: Wrapping It Up

Just remember that punctuation marks are an integral part of Spanish, and leaving them out isn’t an option.

Take the time to learn them and use them properly, and you’ll be able to express yourself more accurately in Spanish and read it aloud more fluently!

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• Aug 24, 2020

Punctuation Marks in Spanish

English and Spanish punctuation marks are used more or less the same way. There are a few variations, perhaps one of the most significant differences is that Spanish has opening question and exclamation marks while English does not. Opening marks didn't always exist in Spanish. In most languages ​​a single question mark is used at the end of the question phrase. This was the habitual use also in Spanish, until the 18th century, when the Real Academia Española declared it mandatory to start questions with the inverted question mark (¿), and end with the common question mark (?). The institution ordered the same for exclamation marks (¡) and (!). The adoption was slow, and you can find books from the 19th century for example, that don’t use such opening marks.

Eventually, however, it did become widely accepted. This is in part due to the nature of Spanish syntax and at times the difficulty in deducing when an interrogative phrase actually begins, as compared to other languages. Many linguists believe the question mark originated from the Latin word  qvaestio , meaning question. This word was reportedly abbreviated in the Middle Ages by scholars as just  qo . Over time, a capital “Q” was written over the “o”, and formed one letter. Then, it morphed into the modern question mark we know today.

It is worth mentioning that the influence of technology and the English language are changing the use of opening marks in informal contexts. It is not common to see them in online chats, or in text messages between friends. Only the closing marks are commonly used in such settings.

Do you know the names of the punctuation marks in Spanish? Several of these marks are part of expressions in the everyday vocabulary of natives, so it is useful for learners of Spanish to be familiar with them. Here we go:

Punctuation Marks: Signos de Puntuación:

full stop or period . punto

comma , coma

semicolon ; punto y coma

colon : dos puntos

quotation marks “ ” comillas

round brackets, parentheses ( ) paréntesis

apostrophe ’ apóstrofo

question mark ¿? signo de interrogación, de apertura y cierre

exclamation mark ¡! signo de exclamación, de apertura y cierre

ellipsis mark … puntos suspensivos

hyphen - guión

dash — raya

slash / barra

Here are a few expressions:

Michael Jordan es el mejor jugador de la historia, y punto.

Michael Jordan is the best player in history, period.

Creo, entre paréntesis, que este autor no está bien traducido.

As a side note, I think this author is not well translated.

Supongo que él piensa que eso fue, entre comillas, gracioso .

I guess he thinks that was, quote unquote, funny .

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~I’m a Spanish teacher based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since 2007 I have been teaching Spanish to people from all over the world. Whether looking for an online Spanish tutor, or in person while visiting Buenos Aires, please reach out to me with any questions you might have!~

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Spanish Accent Marks: A full guide on accent marks in Spanish

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In Spanish, accent marks are essential elements in proper spelling, while also indicating essential information on pronunciation.

In this post, we will cover all you need to know to master the use of accent marks in Spanish. It may seem like a lot at first, but we’ll present you with some basic rules that will make you an expert on accent marks in Spanish – perhaps even more expert than many native speakers. Believe it or not, when writing, native speakers are often unsure when to add an accent mark or not!

We will start by defining and describing the different types of accent marks in Spanish. We’ll spend a lot of time talking specifically about acute accents, since these have a lot of rules that you can quickly master. We’ll round out the post with several sections on specific cases to get you used to seeing Spanish accent marks in those contexts, like with question words, demonstratives, and common homonyms. Finally, we’ll leave you with some exercises.

Why do we need Spanish accent marks?

Before we get into the details, let’s first just consider why accent marks in Spanish are so important.

In spelling , including or omitting the Spanish accent mark can actually change the meaning of the word entirely. For a simple example, think of the word si  (no accent mark), which means if , compared with the word sí  (with accent mark), which means yes . In Spanish, we always need to include accents on certain words to spell them correctly.

Likewise, Spanish accent marks reflect vital details on which syllable receives the stress  when the word is pronounced. Think about the example of “record” in English, which can have very different meanings depending on where you put the stress. Whereas “a record” takes the stress on the first syllable, the verb “to record” takes the stress on the second syllable. In Spanish, the pronunciation stress is reflected by the written accent marks.

In other words, Spanish accent marks are vital elements in proper spelling , as well in proper pronunciation ! Now that we have that out of the way, let’s dive in and start out by learning the three different accent marks in Spanish.

Spanish accent marks

Accents in Spanish are used only on specific letters: the vowels a , e , i , o , u , and the consonant n . No other letters of the alphabet take accents in Spanish. There are three different types of accent marks in Spanish: the diaeresis , the tilde , and the acute accent . We’ll call them by their common Spanish names here, which are, respectively, la diéresis , la virgulilla , and el acento .

In case you want to type any of the characters we’re covering here, we have a separate lesson specifically on how to type Spanish accents .

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La diéresis

La di é resis  is only placed above the letter “u” and is designated by the addition of two dots like this: “ ü .”

Many English speakers call this accent an umlaut , since that’s what it’s called in German and it’s much more common in that language. However, when you refer to this accent mark in Spanish, you can call it the Spanish diaeresis  in English. Or simply la diéresis .

La diéresis  appears in just a few words in Spanish, always between a “g” and either an “e” or an “i.”

Normally, the letter “u” in the syllables “gue” and “gui” forms part of a diphthong, so the “u” is not pronounced independently. La diéresis  tells the reader that the vowel “ü” should be fully pronounced distinctly from the following vowel.

Here are some of the Spanish words that contain the diéresis :

La virgulilla

La virgulilla  is an accent mark only found above the letter “n.” In fact, the letters “n” and “ñ” are considered as two distinct letters. The letter “n” comes before the letter “ñ” in the Spanish alphabet, and their pronunciations also differ. The Spanish “ñ” pronunciation is similar to the “ ni ” sound in the English word “o ni on.”

In English, you refer to the wavy line over the Spanish letter ñ as a tilde . Since “ñ” is considered to be a distinct letter, native Spanish speakers don’t even think of the wavy line above the “n” as an accent mark at all.

In fact, in Spanish, we use the term tilde  as a general term for the acute accent mark, as we’ll see below. We actually call this wavy line over the ñ una virgulilla , or sometimes we use the word tilde  in Spanish but always by qualifying it by saying una tilde de la n .

There are no words in Spanish that start with the letter ñ. These are some common Spanish words that include the letter “ ñ ”:

El acento, La tilde

Acute accents  are the most common accents in Spanish. Normally, this accent is called el acento  or la tilde  in Spanish.

We also have a verb  for putting an accent on a letter  in Spanish: acentuar . Acentuar  can refer both to the stressing  of a given letter in pronunciation, or the writing  of a accent mark over the letter.

• Esa palabra debe ir acentuada  en la letra “o.” – That word should be stressed  on the letter “o.”

Acentos  are used only with the vowels: á , é , í , ó  and ú . This Spanish accent mark can never be present more than once per word , as it is used to stress a specific syllable . This means that the vowel bearing the tilde  should be stressed in speech , whether it’s pronounced louder or longer.

Let’s see some examples of Spanish words bearing acentos :

When to use the acute accent

Before moving on to the rules, you need to know that Spanish words may be stressed on different syllables, all in reference to the end of the word: the last syllable, the second-to-last syllable, and the third-to-last syllable.

Here we will have a look at some rules that will tell you where to place the acute accent. In each of these sections, we introduce words where the pronunciation needs to be stressed on a certain accent, so this is where the acute accent mark goes.

Make sure to remember these rules because once you learn them, knowing where to place Spanish accent marks will be much easier for you!

The accent is on the last syllable

When the word has more than one syllable and it ends  in -n , -s , or a vowel , it is stressed on the last syllable .

The accent is on the second-to-last syllable

When a multi-syllable word ends in any consonant other   than   -n  or -s , we need to put an accent and stress on the second-to-last syllable .

The accent is on the third-to-last syllable

Some words are pronounced with stress on their third-to-last syllable , so this is where we need to place the accent.

One-syllable words

In general, words with only one syllable  should not  bear accent marks .

There’s an exception to this rule, however, in cases where a given one-syllable word has a different meaning if it has an accent mark. We’ll look at many of these in our section on homonyms near the end of this post.

Spanish accent marks on adverbs that end in -mente

The final rule in this section is not a general rule about spelling, but rather a rule about keeping accent marks in place when a word’s form is changed. The example we’ll use here is with adverbs that are derived from adjectives that already bear an acute accent mark.

In these cases, adding the -mente to change the adjective to an adverb doesn’t change the placement of the accent mark to agree with the rules we saw above. Instead, the accent remains where it started in the original form of the word.

See what we mean by comparing the placement of the Spanish accent marks in the adjective and adverb forms of the following words:

Adding accent marks in Spanish: Imperatives with pronouns

So far, we’ve only looked at cases where the Spanish accent marks are integral components of the words where they’re found. In this section, we’ll introduce the special cases where we need to add acute accents  to words that otherwise don’t bear them as part of their spelling.

Specifically, we need to add an accent mark to the verb form in cases where we attach pronouns directly to the end of the verb when giving commands. The reason for this relates to the third rule we saw in the previous section, since by adding the pronouns the word becomes longer so the stress of that word falls on the third-to-last syllable.

• A cués tate ahora. – Go  to bed now.
• Péi nense antes de salir. – Comb  your hair before you leave.

We go into more detail on this, with plenty of examples, in our post on nosotros commands .

Specific word groups that always have Spanish accent marks

In general, accent marks are just part of the spelling of a given Spanish word, so you’ll just need to learn each word and remember whether or not it has an accent.

There are a couple of groups of Spanish words, however, which all have accents on them. These include the Spanish question words , and sometimes the demonstrative pronouns . Let’s see each of these two groups in more detail here.

Spanish accent marks on question words

Spanish accent marks are present on all of the question words , whether when asking for information through direct or indirect questions.

In the case of direct questions, the Spanish question words are easy to recognize:

• ¿ Dónde  están tus zapatos nuevos? – Where  are your new shoes?

Question words always maintain their accents , even in sentences where the question isn’t as direct. Let us give you a language hack to recognize interrogative words in indirect questions and embedded questions: the question word (which should include an acute accent) always refers to a question or to something that you don’t know.

• No sé dónde  están mis zapatos. – I don’t know where  my shoes are. (Embedded question)
• Me preguntó quién  era yo. – He asked me who  I was. (Indirect question)

Meanwhile, Spanish has a group of relative pronouns  which are almost identical to the question words, but which don’t have accents. In the case of relative pronouns, they have a different function in the sentences and are used to state something that’s certain.

• Este es el lugar donde vinimos anoche. – This is the place where  we came last night. (Relative pronoun)
• María, quien  está caminando por la calle ahora, es mi novia. – María, the girl who  is walking down the street now, is my girlfriend. (Relative pronoun)

The takeaway from this is that the question words all have accents, while other forms of the near-identical words don’t. Check out our specific posts on Spanish question words  and on Spanish relative pronouns  for more details on each of these groups of words. We also have specific posts on the four accented forms of cuánto in Spanish , and on cuanto, cuanta, cuantos, and cuantas without the accent .

Spanish accent marks on demonstrative pronouns

Similarly to what we just saw with the accented vs unaccented question words and relative pronouns in Spanish, we traditionally differentiated between demonstrative pronouns and demonstrative adjectives by including accents on the demonstrative pronouns . However, since the language reform of 2010, including an accent mark on demonstrative pronouns has become optional.

These days, you’re now just as likely to find demonstrative pronouns   with or without a tilde . It’s up to you now! Demonstrative pronouns are marked with an accent only when there’s a demonstrative pronoun around in the same sentence, so a distinction needs to be made. See what we mean in this sentence:

• Éste  no es el botón de este  abrigo. – This  is not the button of this  coat.

For a full lesson on the demonstrative adjectives in Spanish, have a look at our dedicated post on this, that, these, and those in Spanish . There we include a section on the unaccented vs accented demonstrative pronouns  in Spanish too!

Spanish homonyms with and without accent marks

A lot of Spanish words are nearly identical to each other, except that one has an accent and the other doesn’t. These are great examples of how important it is to include the accent for a given word, because the unaccented word often means something completely different!

A homonym is a word that is pronounced the same, but has a different spelling. In this section we’ll cover some of the most common Spanish homonyms where the only spelling difference is the Spanish accent mark.

Aún : It means still  or yet .

• Aún  estás a tiempo. – You’re still  on time.

Aun : It may mean even , until , also , and not even , according to context.

• Te daré 50 dólares, aun  100 si los necesitas. – I’ll give you 50 dollars, even  100 if you need them.

We actually have a full post on aun vs aún vs aunque  where you can get a complete lesson on these similar-sounding words.

Dé : It’s a conjugated form of the verb dar  – to give .

• Dile a Susana que me dé  el dinero que me debe. – Tell Susana to give  me the money she owes me.

De : It’s the preposition of .

• Es una cuestión de  actitud. – It’s a matter of attitude.

For more details on how to use de , we have a fun post on using de vs desde in Spanish .

Él : It’s the subject pronoun meaning he .

• Él  no tuvo la culpa. – He  was not the one to blame.

El : It’s the definite article the .

• Ésto es por el  tiempo que no tenemos. – This is for the  time we don’t have.

Of course we can also refer you to our beginner posts on Spanish subject pronouns  and on articles in Spanish .

Más : It’s an adverb of quantity meaning more .

• Necesito más  pan, por favor. – I need more  bread, please.

Mas : It’s a formal way of saying but .

• Quiero ayudarte, mas  no sé qué hacer. – I want to help you, but  I don’t know what to do.

Mí : It’s the prepositional object pronoun me .

• El regalo es para mí . – The present is for me .

Mi : It’s the possessive pronoun my .

• Mi  perro es muy dulce. – My  dog is so sweet.

Mí  is in a particular class of Spanish pronouns, so you may be interested in learning more in our post on prepositional pronouns in Spanish . On the other hand, you’re probably already familiar with mi , as one of the fundamental ways to express possession in Spanish .

Sé : It’s a verb form of two common Spanish verbs: saber  – to know , and ser  – to be .

• Yo sé  que no vendrás. – I know  that you won’t come.
• Sé  valiente. – Be  brave.

Se : It’s the reflexive pronoun meaning self .

• Ciro no se  cepilla los dientes todos los días. – Ciro doesn’t brush his teeth every day.

For more on these, check out our posts on saber vs conocer , on ser vs estar , and on the Spanish reflexive pronouns .

Sí : It’s the affirmation yes .

• Sí , iremos a la playa hoy. – Yes , we’ll go to the beach today.

Si : It’s the conditional particle if .

• No sé si  iremos a la playa hoy. – I don’t know if we’ll go to the beach today.

Té : It’s the Spanish word for tea .

• Me gustaría tomar un té . – I would like to have a tea .

Te : It’s the object pronoun you .

• Te  quiero mucho. – I love you  so much.

Check out our related posts on Spanish object pronouns , and on how to say I love you in Spanish .

Tú : It’s the subject pronoun you .

• Tú  no eres como yo. – You  are not like me.

Tu : It’s the possessive pronoun your .

• No quiero tu  dinero. – I don’t want your  money.

Again, you can see more on these in our detailed posts on the subject pronouns in Spanish , and on the Spanish possessives .

Today we’ve covered some of the fundamental details and rules about Spanish accent marks. We’ve learned the three different types of accents in Spanish, the diaeresis, the tilde, and the acute accent, and we’ve seen how to use them.

We also went into a lot of depth on key rules to using acute accents. Namely, this comes down to which syllable is stressed, and is based on the last letter of the word. We also touched on contexts where we add accents to imperative verb forms that have pronouns attached to them.

Once we got through the main rules, we went through several specific groups of words which rely heavily on accents. We saw that question words always have accents, and that this used to also be the case for demonstrative adjectives. Finally, we went through a bunch of common one-syllable homonyms that have different meanings when written with and without an accent.

With that, you’re now as knowledgeable about Spanish accent marks as many native speakers! Now to give you a bit of practice, we’ll leave you with some exercises for you to practice your new accenting skills. Good luck!

Exercises: Spanish accent marks

Choose the right option from between the options in parentheses.

1. Tengo (fe – fé) en ti.

2. No sé (adonde – adónde) iremos el fin de semana.

3. Tenemos que ir de vacaciones a (Espana – España) pronto.

4. ¿Esto está (cientificamente – científicamente) probado?

5. No vamos a ir a la reunión (aun – aún) si nos pagan.

6. Fuimos a la casa de (tu – tú) abuela.

7. Me fascina la (linguistica – lingüística).

1. Tengo fe  en ti. – I have faith  in you.

2. No sé adónde  iremos el fin de semana. – I don’t know where  we’ll go on the weekend.

3. Tenemos que ir de vacaciones a España pronto. – We have to go on vacation to Spain  soon.

4. ¿Esto está científicamente  probado? – Is this scientifically  tested?

5. No vamos a ir a la reunión  aun si nos pagan. – We are not going to go to the meeting even if  they pay us.

6. Fuimos a la casa de tu abuela. – We went to your  grandma’s house.

7. Me fascina la lingüística . – Linguistics  fascinates me.

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Feminine nouns that take masculine articles: EL agua or LA agua, explained

Explained: The Impersonal Se in Spanish

Subjunctive Spanish Triggers: Know when to use the subjunctive

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Indirect Speech in Spanish Grammar

Indirect speech in spanish: the basics, how to change direct speech to indirect speech in spanish, changing the tense in indirect speech, changing information about place and time.

• Lingolia Plus Spanish

What is estilo indirecto ?

Reported speech or indirect speech (el estilo indirecto) is when we repeat what another person has said without directly quoting it.

This means that we often have to adapt or change certain parts of speech such as pronouns , tenses and time and place markers to reflect that we are only reporting what was said, not repeating it word-for-word.

Learn all about reported speech in Spanish with Lingolia, then practise in the interactive exercises.

Direct speech repeats someone’s utterance word-for-word and is placed within quotation marks (comillas: «…»).

Indirect speech reproduces something a person has said without quoting them exactly.

Indirect speech is therefore introduced by a reporting verb such as decir say , afirmar confirm , contar tell , exclamar exclaim , explicar explain , preguntar ask  …

Sentences in reported speech take the following form: reporting verb + que (= that)

Questions in reported speech do not take question marks.

Yes-no questions (oraciones interrogativas totales) take the following form: reporting verb + si (= if)

When a question contains a question word (oración interrogativa parcial) , we use this in place of si : reporting verb + question word

Indirect Questions

Remember: questions in indirect speech are not the same thing as indirect questions (las oraciones interrogativas indirectas).

To learn more, check out our page on indirect questions in Spanish grammar .

There are several parts of speech that we have to change when converting direct speech to indirect speech in Spanish.

Luckily the process is almost exactly the same as it is in English, which means you already know more than you think!

Let’s start off with a simple example in English:

In this example, we can see that the following parts of speech have changed:

• personal pronouns (I → he)
• verb (like → liked)
• demonstrative pronoun (this → that)

In Spanish, we change the exact same things (plus a few others). Let’s break them down in detail:

• personal pronouns (yo, tú, él, ella …) Example: Juan: «( Yo ) estoy estupendamente». Juan: “ I’m great.” → Juan dijo que ( él ) estaba estupendamente. He said that he was great. 1st person to 3rd
• possessives (mi, tu, su …)
• demonstratives (este, esta, ese …)
• information about place and time
• the verb changes its person and tense (more info on this below) Example: Juan: « Estoy estupendamente». Juan: “I am doing great.” → Juan dijo que estaba estupendamente. Juan said that he was doing great. 1st person to 3rd; present tense to imperfect

When moving from direct to indirect speech, we often have to change the tense of the verb.

Whether we have to change the tense depends on the tense of the reporting verb.

No change in tense

The tense in the indirect speech stays the same if the reporting verb is in the present, future or perfect tense (él cuenta, él contará, él ha contado ). The person still changes.

Exception: the imperative

The imperative is a special case. Even if the reporting verb is in the present or perfect, the imperative does not remain the same in the indirect speech; it changes to become the present subjunctive .

However, when the reporting verb is in the past, the imperative behaves like other tenses and changes to the imperfect subjunctive in indirect speech.

When to change the tense in indirect speech

When the reporting verb is in the preterite, imperfect or past perfect (él contó, el contaba, el había contado ), the tense of the indirect speech moves back one. This is known as backshifting.

The table below shows how to backshift the tense from direct speech to indirect speech when you have a reporting verb in the past.

Time and place references have to be adapted in indirect speech.

The table below shows how to convert time and place references from direct speech to indirect speech.

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How to Type Spanish Accents and Letters

Having trouble typing á , é , í , ó , ú , ü , ñ , ¿ , and ¡ on your keyboard? ¡No te apures! ( Don't sweat it! ) There are several ways you can incorporate these letters and punctuation marks into your daily life.

1. You can simply copy and paste the letters and punctuation marks given above.

2. you can learn the keyboard shortcuts on your mac or pc., 3. you can set your keyboard layout to spanish..

Read on for more on keyboard shortcuts and layouts!

Keyboard Shortcuts

If you only need an accented character every now and then, there is no need to change your full keyboard layout. Instead, you can make use of keyboard shortcuts, which we'll explain for both PC and Mac users below.

There are several keyboard shortcuts you can use for Spanish letters and punctuation on your PC. This first set is for newer computers and may only work in Microsoft Office.

If you’re using Office for Windows, use the following shortcuts:

• For accented vowels, press Ctrl + ' , then the vowel you want to accent.
• For the Spanish ñ , press Ctrl + ~ , then the n key.

To get accented vowels on a Mac, hold down the Option/Alt key (⌥) , and press the e key. Then, release both keys and type the letter that you want to accent.

To type an umlaut over the u , hold down the Option/Alt key while pressing the u key, then press u again.

To type ¡ , press the Option/Alt key and the ! key. To type ¿ , press the Option/Alt key, Shift , and the ? key.

On many keyboards, you can also simply hold down the letter you want to accent. This will cause a little box with letter choices to pop up, and you can select which letter you want. For example, holding down the n key will cause a box with and ñ and ń to appear.

How to Type Accents and Letters with Character Codes

Another way to type Spanish letters and punctuation marks is to use character codes. Each character in your computer has a code made up of the Alt key and a three-digit number, all of which are listed below.

To type the numbers, you must use the numeric keypad on the right side of your keyboard, not the number keys on the top row.

Full Keyboard Configuration

For those using Spanish letters and punctuation on a regular basis, we recommend going into your Control Panel/System Preferences and adding the Spanish keyboard configuration. This will mean you need to learn the new key placements, but it is very easy once you get used to it.

After changing your keyboard layout, you can also put a skin on your keyboard to help you learn new key placements. A skin is a plastic keyboard cover that you can place over your original keyboard if you happen to configure it. Skins are very cheap and available in many different languages, including (of course) Spanish!

For Windows Vista

• Go to your Control Panel
• Click on "Clock, Language, Region”
• Click on "Change Keyboards"
• Click "Add" and Select "Spanish-International Sort"

For Windows XP

• Click on "Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options"
• Click on "Regional and Language Options"
• Select the "Languages" tab at the top
• Click on "Details" near the bottom
• Click "Add" and choose "Spanish-Traditional Sort"
• Go back to the "Languages" tab and choose the option to "switch languages" by pressing "left alt-shift" at the same time. This way, you can switch to and from the Spanish and regular keyboard whenever you want.
• Go to your System Preferences
• Click on "International"
• Select the "Input Menu" tab
• Scroll down to select "Spanish - ISO"
• Note the keystrokes necessary to switch between languages or select "Show input menu in menu bar" to be able to select which keyboard you want to use.

Spanish-International Sort Keyboard Layout

Once you have installed your Spanish keyboard, it may react a bit differently than you're used to. In particular, several punctuation marks are in different places than they are on an English-language keyboard. Here's how to type a few of the trickier ones (check out the image of the Spanish Mac keyboard below to follow along.)

• To type an apostrophe ( ' ), press the key immediately to the right of the key for the number 0.
• To type a question mark ( ? ), press Shift, then the key immediately to the right of the key for the number 0.
• To type double quotes ( " ), press Shift, then the key for the number 2.
• To type a semicolon ( ; ) press Shift, then the comma ( , ) key.

Happily, the period ( . ), comma ( , ), and exclamation point ( ! ) keys are in the same places on Spanish and English Mac keyboards.

Spanish Mac Keyboard

Learn more about Spanish punctuation with these articles!

• Spanish Punctuation
• What Is the Upside-Down Question Mark?
• What Is the Upside-Down Exclamation Point?
• Written Accent Marks (Tildes)
• How to Pronounce "Ñ" in Spanish

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Parts of Speech in Spanish: A Simple Guide to the 9 Parts

Parts of speech in Spanish are the different words we use to form a sentence. In short, they’re the fundamentals of Spanish grammar. So, getting familiar with parts of speech is crucial for articulating coherent sentences. 

For that reason, in this guide, we’ll go over the 9 parts of speech in Spanish. Here is a quick overview of what you’ll learn: 

• What Are Parts of Speech
• Determiners
• Conjunctions
• Prepositions
• Interjections
• Downloadable PDF

By the end of this, you’ll better understand the building blocks we use to form sentences in Spanish. 

What Are Parts of Speech in Spanish

In Spanish, a sentence is composed of different words or elements. These elements are called parts of speech: 

Check the graphic above. Each part of speech in Spanish has a different purpose in the sentence. But before learning the specifics of these elements, there’s a general rule you should know. 

Spanish parts of speech can be variable or invariable words. In simple terms, variable parts of speech are words that change to mark gender or number, whereas invariable parts of speech are unchangeable grammatical terms. 

This is a basic Spanish grammar rule that you need to apply. Use the following graphic as a reference whenever you wonder if a word has a plural form or gender in Spanish: 

Take Note : In Spanish, parts of speech are called categorías gramaticales . 

Different Parts of Speech in Spanish

In Spanish, there are 9 parts of speech: 

• Prepositions 

In the sections below, we’ll learn how each part of speech in Spanish works. I’ve included examples of each category so you can relate the vocabulary you already know with its corresponding part of speech. 

Take Note : Some articles or books may use the category ‘articles’ instead of ‘determiners’ as part of the speech. But, as you’re about to learn, articles are a subset of Spanish determiners. 

Nouns (sustantivos)

Nouns, called sustantivos in Spanish, are words we use to name things, people, or concepts. These words are variable, which means they often have variations to mark gender or number. 

Here are some examples of basic nouns in Spanish : 

• Mesa: Table
• Español: Spanish
• Casa : House
• Coche : Car
• Gente : People
• Juan : Juan 
• Lugar : Place
• Trabajo : Job
• Perro : Dog

In Spanish sentences, nouns can work as the subject, direct or indirect object . You can see this in the example below. I’ve bolded the subject and underlined the object so they’re easy to identify.

La mesa es grande. The table is big.

La niña come manzanas. The girl eats apples.

Juan no tiene trabajo. Juan doesn’t have a job.

Take Note: Nouns in Spanish have their own classifications and rules. As a variable part of speech, one of their most important rules is related to marking their gender. Check my guide on gender of nouns in Spanish to learn more about this. 

Verbs (verbos)

Verbs express the action performed by the subject or its state of being. When we conjugate them, verbs agree with the subject and convey the time when the action took place (called Spanish tense ). 

Here are some examples of words that fall into this Spanish part of speech: 

• Beber : To drink
• Estar : To be
• Hay : There is / There are / To be
• Hablar : To speak
• Ponerse : To put on
• Quedar : To fit
• Ser : To be
• Tener : To have
• Vivir : To live

No hay leche. There’s no more milk.

Yo estoy cansada. I am tired.

Susy es mi prima. Susy is my cousin.

Take Note: Verbs are the core of a sentence. Without them, our statement would be incomplete. Depending on their characteristics, verbs can be transitive, intransitive, or impersonal .

Adjectives (adjetivos)

Adjectives are the Spanish part of speech that defines or describes the characteristics of a noun. Adjectives mark the number and, sometimes, the gender of the noun they accompany.

Check this list with common adjectives in Spanish : 

• Amable : Nice
• Alto : Tall
• Bonito : Pretty
• Caro : Expensive
• Divertido : Fun
• Guapo : Handsome
• Inteligente : Intelligente
• Morado : Purple 
• Paciente : Patient 
• Pequeño : Small

La mesa es pequeña . The table is small .

Me gusta el celular morado . I like the purple phone.

As you can see from the examples above, adjectives enrich your ability to express ideas, from describing the size of things to colors and much more.

Take Note: Because they’re qualifying words, adjectives are commonly used to describe someone or something. 

Adverbs (adverbios)

Adverbs, or adverbios in Spanish , provide more information about the verb. They also intensify a quality expressed by an adjective or another adverb. 

• Aquí : Here
• Ayer : Yesterday
• Bien : Well
• Encima : On top of
• Mal : Badly
• Pronto : Soon
• Rápidamente : Quickly
• Ya : Already

Notice that adverbs do not have gender or number: 

La casa es muy bonita. The house is very pretty.

Tus llaves están aquí . Your keys are here .

Take Note: Spanish adverbs have different classifications depending on the information they deliver. Such as time, manner, place, quantity, or degree. 

Pronouns (pronombres)

Spanish pronouns are words used to replace a noun. Pronouns maintain the same functions and properties as the noun they’re substituting.

Some examples of words that fall into this part of speech in Spanish are: 

• Yo : I ( subject pronouns )
• Te: yourself ( reflexive pronouns )
• Le : him / her / it ( indirect object pronouns )
• Lo : him / it ( direct object pronouns )
• Este : this ( demonstrative pronouns )
• La cual : which ( relative pronouns )

¿Y los chocolates? Los dejé aquí. And the chocolates? I left them here.

Ellos no hablan español, pero nosotros sí. They don’t speak Spanish, but we do.

Check my guide on Spanish pronouns to learn more about how and when to use each type of pronoun. 

Determiners (determinantes)

Determiners is the part of speech in Spanish that makes a noun more specific. They’re always placed in front of nouns.  

Some examples of determiners in Spanish are: 

• Possessive adjectives
• Demonstratives
• Quantifiers

[Determiner] + [noun]

El niño come galletas. The boy eats cookies.

Tengo muchos amigos. I have a lot of friends.

Estos libros son azules. These books are blue.

Except for definite and indefinite articles , the other types of determiners are also known as ‘adjectives’ (e.g. possessive adjectives , demonstrative adjectives , etc.). The main difference is that determiners always go before the noun, while qualifying adjectives go after it. 

Conjunctions (conjunciones)

Spanish conjunctions are connecting words that help you join words and sentences together. Some common examples of conjunctions are: 

• Que : That / Who / Which
• Sino : But 

As you can see in the examples below, conjunctions in Spanish join simple or more complex sentences. 

Clara y Patricia son mis primas. Clara and Patricia are my cousins.

Recuerda que debes limpiar las ventanas. Remember that you must clean the windows.

Prepositions (preposiciones)

Prepositions in Spanish allow you to link words to indicate origin, destiny, direction, place, cause, and other similar concepts. Simply put, prepositions explain the relationship between the elements you’re linking. 

Here are some examples of basic prepositions: 

• A : To / At / By 
• De : From / Of
• En : On / In / For
• Para : For / To
• Por : For / By
• Sobre : On / Over / Above / About

Dejé el lápiz en la mesa. I left the pencil on the table.

Lleva esto a la sala, por favor. Take this to the living room, please.

Interjections (interjecciones)

Interjections are used to express an emotion or reaction to something. This Spanish part of speech is unchangeable unless it’s built with a verb and you’re addressing someone: 

• Ay : Ouch / Oh
• Olé: Bravo / Hurray 
• Ojalá : Hopefully 
• Uy : Wow / Ow
• Vaya : Damn / Well
• No manches: Damn / You’re kidding

¡Ay! ¡Las llaves! Oh! The keys!

¡Uy! Casi chocamos. Wow! We almost crashed.

¿Por qué hicieron eso? ¡ No manchen! Why did you guys do that? Damn!

Notice that each Spanish dialect may have its own informal interjections. For example, olé is only applicable in Castilian Spanish . 

Parts of speech in Spanish are the core elements of sentences. It’s highly likely that you already know some of these terms individually. Here are some key points you should remember: 

• Spanish parts of speech are the different types of words we use in a sentence. 
• Parts of speech change to mark gender or number ( variable ) or may never change ( invariable ).
• Determiners make the noun more specific.
• Nouns name or label things, people, or concepts.
• Verbs express the action or state of being of a noun.
• Adjectives qualify and describe nouns.
• Pronouns replace nouns and represent their characteristics.
• Adverbs provide additional information about the circumstances surrounding an action. They also intensify the quality of an adverb or adjective. 
• Prepositions link two words together while indicating their relationship. 
• Conjunctions link words and sentences together.
• Interjections express emotions or reactions.

Building sentences correctly should be easier now that you know the parts of speech in Spanish. Buena suerte 😉

Download the Spanish Parts of Speech PDF

The 9 parts of speech are critical to learning Spanish grammar and mastering the language. That’s why I’ve created a free PDF for you with the graphics, important notes and key points from this guide as well as links to relevant Spanish language resources.

Daniela Sanchez

¡Hola! Soy Daniela Sanchez, I've been studying Spanish professionally as well as teaching it in Mexico and online for over 10 years. I’ve taught Spanish to a wide array of foreigners from many backgrounds. Over the years, I've made it my mission to work hard on refining many challenging to understand grammar topics to make my students' learning experiences easier, faster and more enjoyable. Read More About Me

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B: " Pues , considero que es una grosería de su parte porque la ceremonia tiene meses planificándose y la cosa es que ella debe estar aquí porque es la dama de honor. Quiero decir , si ella no viene, la novia estará muy decepcionada."

• A ver, pues, entonces: Used to continue the previous idea and are usually interposed as a short pause, generally when what is meant at the moment doesn’t come to mind

A: Mi mamá debe llegar el domingo en la tarde, como a las 4pm, entonces debemos tener todo listo para que no se dé cuenta de la sorpresa.

B: Ok ok me encargaré de preparar todo, pero no sé qué falta aún por planificar. A ver , ¿en dónde buscamos la torta de chocolate?

A: Pues … ¡En su pastelería favorita! Vamos a llamar para pedirla.

• Vale, ya, ajá, dale:  Markers to confirm something or to say that you understood

A: Recuerda que la profesora dijo que primero el examen y luego la exposición.

B: Ahh ya . ¿Te parece si nos vemos mañana en la tarde para estudiar?

A: Vale , me parece bien. Nos vemos a las 3pm, pero una pregunta ¿nos reunimos en tu casa te parece?

B: Ajá , no hay problema. Te veo mañana entonces.

A: Dale , nos vemos.

Este, bueno: Interposed as a long pause, generally when what is meant at the moment doesn’t come to mind

A: ¿Por fin si quieres que invite a Lucia a la fiesta?

B: Este ... podría ser, no sé. Bueno … mejor no. Creo que es una mala idea.

Más o menos, así que: Used to explain something

A: Raúl, ¿Estás listo para la presentación?

B: Más o menos . Considero que debo estudiar un poco más.

A: Entiendo. Además, la presentación es en una semana, así que tienes tiempo. No te preocupes.

Ay: To show exclamation

A: Estoy tan enferma que no he podido terminar mi tarea.

B: ¡Ay! lo siento mucho. Si quieres te puedo ayudar.

All of these discourse markers are part of our daily speech with friends, family and when we are at the university. We use them frequently to make sense of and connect our ideas. Therefore, I encourage you as a Spanish student to use them and search for other discourse markers because, as my grandma says, “Hay mucha más tela que cortar.”

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Spanish Grammar Lesson: Direct vs Indirect Speech

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March 25, 2017

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The difference between direct and indirect speech (also called reported speech) is pretty easy to understand.  

But it's not very easy to apply when speaking in a foreign language. It is a very important part of communicating, however, and plays an major role in most conversations.

Read on for a quick introduction and guide to direct vs indirect speech in Spanish.

So, what’s the difference?

That’s a very good question! Before we get too far ahead of ourselves with all the little technicalities, let’s make sure that we understand what we’re dealing with here.

In order to do this, take the following conversation:

Pedro: Where are you going?

Jose: To the store.

1: Will you get milk?

2: Sure, no problem.

Now, let’s say Pedro later goes on to have a conversation with someone else, about the above mentioned interaction. There are some options for how they could go about doing this. Let’s just say it looked something like this:

• Pedro: I asked Jose where he was going. He said, “to the store.” So, I asked if he would get some milk, and he said “sure, no problem.”

The above recounting of a previous event or exchange with another person is what we’re going to look at. You have two options when doing this.

The first, is by using quotation marks. This is direct speech. This means that the words are being repeated exactly like they were said.

• He said, “to the store.”
• ...and he said, “sure, no problem.”

The second way of recounting a conversation is through indirect speech. In the example above, this is done through changing the verb tense, although that isn’t always required (we will look at that more later).  

• Reported: I asked him where he was going.
• Reported: I asked if he would get some milk.

Basically, there are 3 important rules to keep in mind when using indirect (reported) speech. They are:

• You will not use quotation marks
• Since you’re not quoting, you don’t need to say word-for-word what the person said
• When reporting what someone said, you generally change the verb tense.

Reporting Verbs

There are still a few things we need to talk about before getting into everyone’s favorite part about grammar--the technicalities.

In order to identify that something is being “reported” or to communicate that you are repeating something that someone said previously, you’ll use a reporting verb. We have them in English as well. The most common are:

*Most common of the most common

“Que”--your new best friend

You’ll notice that (almost) all of the examples above in the chart using reported speech include the little word “que.” This is not a coincidence.

When speaking in reported speech you will always use the “que” (meaning “that”). Even if in English we can and would omit the “that” you still need it in Spanish.”  

“She said that she was tired.”- Here, in English the “that” is optional. This is not the case in Spanish.

“He asked that I go to the store.” (He asked me to go to the store.) - this is one of the examples where the “that” wouldn’t be use in English, but it would in Spanish.

But wait… the questions…

If you’re reporting a question, you have a few options available as they don’t always need the “que”.

Yes and No Questions.

If the answer to the question being reported can be “yes” or “no” you don’t need the “que.” In these situation we would use the “si” like in English (if).

“He asked me if I could go to the store.”- Me preguntó si iba a la tienda .

Questions with question words

If you are reporting a question that contained the question words  (where, who, when, etc.) you will not need the “que” but stick with the question word used in the original context.

• María: Where is Sara? ( ¿Dónde está Sara? )

Reported speech: Maria wanted to know where Sara was. ( María quería saber donde estaba Sara. )

Let’s get a little more technical.

We’ll try to ease you into all of this grammatical stuff. It seems like a lot to remember. But, a lot of it is very common in English as well, so try to not to get too overwhelmed!

Personal pronouns and Possessive pronouns.

Again, let’s start with an example:

• María: Can you tell my brother that I need to talk to him? ¿Puedes decirle a mi hermano que le tengo que hablar?

Here, obviously a few things need to change if you want to report this statement. For one, he’s not your brother and for another you’re not the one that needs to speak to him.

In this situation, the personal pronouns (you, I) need to change, as well as the possessive (my). Here’s how this statement would sound when repeating it later on to someone else:

• The pronouns remain the same.
• Here, you can see that the pronouns did change.

So far so good, right? It’s pretty basic stuff up to this point. Just like in English, we need to change the subject and the pronouns.

Time phrases

Obviously, more often than not, if you’re reporting something that happened it’s because the person you’re recounting the event to wasn’t there when it took place--i.e. it was in the past.

So, here’s how you would change around your time phrases so they line up with what you’re saying:

As you’ll notice above, all of the examples are written in the past. This is also something important to pay attention to, and probably one of the most important grammatical points of reported speech. So, let’s go ahead and dive right into that!

Verb tenses in indirect (reported) speech.

The tense the reporting verb is in (present, past, future) will have a big impact on the rest of the sentence. Not only will you need to pay attention to the tense, but also to what is being said.

Command/Request vs information

Depending on the context of the conversation being reported, you’ll need to use different ways of repeating it.

This is where things can start to get a little tricky. We do have similar rules in English as they do in Spanish, but in English they are a little more flexible, and followed less frequently.

Here are some good rules to keep in mind when using indirect speech in Spanish:

• If the reporting verb is in the present or present perfect tense you do not need to change the verb tense--unless it’s a command (we’ll talk more about this in a minute).
• If the reporting verb is in the preterite, imperfect, or the past perfect tense you do need to change the  verb tense.

Let’s look at a quick scenario and see what we have:

Scenario: Let’s say you’re texting with someone, and your friend (who you’re with physically) wants to know what the person texting you is saying.

Person 1: What did he say?

Person 2: He asked if we are free tonight. ( reporting information )

1: Why? What does he want?

2: He wants us to help him move. ( reporting a request )

Here, we can see that in the first part, Person 2 is simply repeating the information . He asked a question, and this is what it is. The reporting verb “want to know” is in the present, so the second verb is in the present as well.

In the second part of the exchange, the reporting verb is in the present, so in English, we keep the it in the present as well. In Spanish, however, if we are reporting a request or command , we need to use the subjunctive. In this case it will be the present subjunctive because the reporting verb is in present.

In Spanish the conversation would go like this:

Person 1: ¿Qué dijo?”

Person 2: Quiere saber si estamos libres esta noche. (present-present)

1: ¿Por qué? ¿Qué quiere?

2: Quiere que le ayudemos a hacer la mudanza. (present-present subjunctive)

Note: This change to the subjunctive only happens with certain verbs: Decir, Pedir, Querer. An easy way to remember this is if they verb will be followed by “si” or “que.”

• Quiere saber si podemos salir esta noche. (He wants to know if I can go out tonight.)
• Me pregunta si quiero quedar mañana. (He’s asking if I can meet up tomorrow.)
• Again, in this situation you’re not necessarily relaying the request or the command, but merely the information contained in the request itself.
• Me dice que tenga cuidado. (He tells me to be careful.)
• Frenando me pide que le ayude con los deberes. (Franks asks me to help with the homework.)
• Fernando me dice que tengo que ir a clase mañana.

Verb Tense Changes

So, if you feel like all of that has settled into your mind and it’s not going to explode just yet, let’s keep chugging along!

As mentioned above, if the reporting verb is in present, it will only change (to present subjunctive) if the thing being reported is a command/ request. When the reporting verb is in the past, however, the rest of the information being reported will need to change tense. Here’s how that is going to work:

Present Simple--Imperfect

• Direct speech: Angela dijo, “No puedo ir.” (Angela said, “I can’t go.”)
• Indirect/ Reported speech: Angela dijo que no podía ir. (Angela said that she couldn’t go.)

Preterite--Pluscuamperfecto (past perfect)

• Direct speech: Sergio dijo, “Ayer compré un movil nuevo.”  (Sergio said, “Yesterday I bought a new cell phone.)
• Indirect/ Reported speech: Sergio dijo que el día anterior había comprado un movil nuevo. (Sergio said that the day before he had bought a new phone.)

Future simple (will)--Conditional simple (would)

• Direct speech : Candela dijo, “Llegaré tarde.” - (Candela said, “I’ll arrive late.”)
• Indirect/ Reported speech: Candela dijo que llegaría tarde. - (Candela said that she would arrive late.)

Imperfect/Conditional/Past Perfect

With these, you will not change second verb tense. Yay!

• Direct speech: Juan dijo, “la playa era muy bonita.” (Juan said, “the beach was very pretty.”)
• Indirect/ Reported speech: Juan dijo que la playa era muy bonita . (Juan said that beach was very pretty.)

Conditional:  

• Direct speech: María dijo, “Me gustaría vivir en Nueva York.” (Maria said, “I would like to live in New York.”
• Indirect/ Reported speech: María dijo que le gustaría vivir en Nueva York. (Maria said she would like to live in New York.
• Past Perfect
• Direct speech: Mi padre me dijo, “a las 5 ya había llegado. ” (My dad told me, “at 5 I had already arrived.”)
• Indirect/ Reported speech: Mi padre me dijo que a las 5 ya había llegado . (My dad told me that a 5 he had already arrived.)

Just one more thing… I promise!

One last thing to remember, like we saw with the present tense, if the verb in the past is a reporting verb, and what is being reported is a command or request, you will use the subjunctive--past subjunctive this time!

• Direct speech: Mis padres me dijeron, “vuelve a casa a las 23.00. ” (My parents told me, “be home at 11:00pm.)
• Indirect/ Reported speech: Mis padres me dijeron que volviera a casa a las 23.00 . (My parents told me to be home by 11:00 pm.)

¡Madre Mía! That was a lot of information!

Let’s see if we can condense it down just a little bit.

Important rules to remember. If you are using reporting speech:

If you do need to change the verb tense, this is why and when:

• Commands or requests with a present tense reporting verb will take the present subjunctive conjugation in the following verb.
• Again, commands or requests with a past tense reporting verb will need to take the past subjunctive conjugation in the following verb.

If the reporting verb is in the past, these are the changes you’ll make:

• Present simple--imperfect
• Preterite-Past Perfect (Pluscuamperfecto)
• Will future--simple continual (would)

Verbs that will not change the tense of the others verbs:

• Conditional

Things to keep in mind:

• Remember your reporting verbs
• Remember to change the personal and possessive pronouns
• Remember your time phrases

In reality, it’s not as complicated as it looks. It may take a little practice to get used to, but after a while, you’ll find that is relatively similar to what we do in English. Do you have any shortcuts you use to remember the rules mentioned above? Is reported (indirect) speech something you struggle with? Let us know in the comments!

About the author 

Anastasia is a Chicago, Illinois native. She began studying Spanish over 10 years ago, and hasn’t stopped since. Living in Spain since 2012, she loves Spanish tortilla, vino tinto, and anything that contains jamón ibérico.

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When do you use quotation marks (‘ ’) or (“ ”) in English? - Easy Learning Grammar

Direct speech.

• to draw attention to a word
• to indicate an unusual use of a word
• to suggest that the writer want to be distanced from a word.

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