At first glance, French punctuation appears similar to English. Unfortunately, the assumption that punctuation is the same in both languages only holds true for a handful of French punctuation marks.

In this post, we’ll answer the age-old question: why do the French put a space before punctuation marks? We will determine which punctuation marks require this extra space, and discuss potential reasons why.

Then we’ll go over every punctuation mark in French, one by one, explaining their uses with examples, and comparing them with how they’re used in English. In particular, we’ll go over the different quotation marks used in French, we’ll see the variations in the use of em dashes and hyphens, and we’ll learn the different uses of periods, commas, and colons in contexts such as how numbers and time are written, and how titles are abbreviated.

By the end of this post, you will have gotten a complete overview of the similarities and differences between punctuation marks in French vs English, allowing you to read and write more accurately.

French punctuation marks: symbols and names

Before we dive into the similarities and differences in French and English punctuation, let’s just see a list of the different punctuation marks in French along with their names in both languages.

Now that you recognize the most important French punctuation marks, let’s discover their most common uses and differences between French and English.

French punctuation marks and the mysterious extra spaces

The most noticeable difference between French and English punctuation is the mysterious French space before two-part punctuation marks. This rule does not apply to Canadian French.

All punctuation marks composed of two or more parts require a space before and after in French: question mark, exclamation mark, semicolon, colon, French quotation marks, percentage mark, hash mark, and currency symbols:

?   !   ;   :   %    #   «   »   €   $   ¢   £   ¥   ฿

All of these symbols have multiple parts to them and can be referred to as double punctuation marks.

• Comment ça va ?  – How are you?

• « Ce n’est pas possible ! » – “That’s impossible!”

In old-school French grammar, the space between the two-part punctuation marks is called une éspace insécable, or a non-breaking space. It is a space character that prevents an automatic line break at its position. It is there to avoid an isolated word or punctuation mark on the next line which could impact the fluidity of reading.

A likely reason for French punctuation requiring an extra space dates to the use of typewriters. The punctuation symbols that require extra spaces in French were typed by superimposing two to three symbols on top of each other. A comma on top of a colon created a semi-colon and would require the typewriter carriage to create a space before and after. This theory has holes in it, as English and French-Canadian punctuation dropped the extra spaces after the use of the typewriter became effectively obsolete, but the rule still exists in the French language.

? The question mark – Le point d’interrogation

This French punctuation mark is used almost the same way as in English, so we won’t spend much time on it.

Le point d’interrogation is used to mark the end of an interrogatory phrase (ie, a question). As we’ve already seen, there’s a non-breaking space between the French question mark and the word that precedes it. When speaking, like in English, the question mark corresponds with a change in tone when asking the question: generally a rising intonation at the end of the phrase.

For most interrogatory phrases that comprise an entire sentence, the French question mark finishes the sentence, so the following letter starts a new sentence and is capitalized. Unlike English, however, sometimes French question marks can be followed by lowercase letters if the sentence isn’t complete yet.

• Je prends chocolat ? je prends vanille ? je prends noisette ? comment je peux choisir qu’une seule saveur ? – Do I take chocolate? Do I take vanilla? Do I take hazelnut? How can I choose just a single flavor?

For other lessons where we use le point d’interrogation, check out our posts on French question words, on how to form questions in French, and on how to use n’est-ce pas to form question tags.

! The exclamation point – Le point d’exclamation

This French punctuation mark is also very similar to its English equivalent, with the same differences that we saw for the French question mark: it has a space before it when written, and it can appear mid-sentence.

Le point d’exclamation is used with short interjections or exclamations, and frequently when giving orders. When speaking, its use indicates a raised voice.

• Ouh là ! c’est quoi ce bordel ? – Whoa! What’s this mess?
• Va à ta chambre ! – Go to your room!

For a few French expressions where it’s common to use le point d’exclamation, check our posts on merci!, oh là là!, allons-y!, bon courage!, Vive la France!, and cheers! in French.

. The period – Le point (final)

The main use of this punctuation mark in French is identical to in English: it marks the end of a sentence. In this use it’s called un point final. Like in English, le point final indicates a noticeable pause when speaking, and the following letter is capitalized since it begins a new sentence.

When used elsewhere than to end a sentence, a period in French is known simply as un point. The most common use of un point is to mark the end of some abbreviations, similarly to English. If the final word of a sentence is abbreviated and takes un point, this also serves as le point final of the sentence.

• Paris à l’ère de V. Hugo : env. 1 mil. hab. – Paris in the era of V. Hugo: approx. 1 mil. inhab.

Note that many French abbreviations are written with superscripts. These do not take un point.

• Numéro : N°

• Compagnie: C^ie

French abbreviations for Mr., Mrs., and Ms. are also exceptions, as only the French Mr. takes un point.

• J’ai le plaisir de vous présenter M. Leclerc, Mme Boffi, et Mlle Kitsidakis. – I have the pleasure to introduce to you Mr. Leclerc, Mrs. Boffi, and Ms. Kitsidakis.

We’ll leave it at that for abbreviations, as this could be an entire lesson of its own. We actually have one such lesson, though it’s very informal: The definitive guide to French texting abbreviations.

Finally, we’ll note one other place where the French frequently use des points: when writing phone numbers. Check out our detailed post on French phone numbers for the full explanation. We also introduce other signs there, such as la touche dièse: #.

• Pour rejoindre notre service à la clientèle, veuillez composez le 06.24.77.80.84. – To reach our customer service department, please dial 06.24.77.80.84.

, The comma – La virgule

This punctuation mark is essentially identical in both languages. It’s used to separate a smaller idea within a larger phrase, it’s used to separate different ideas within a sentence, and it’s used to demarcate multiple elements within a list. When speaking, la virgule indicates a short pause between the words.

The main detail to point out between the English and French use of the comma is at the end of lists. Whereas in English there’s a debate on whether this so-called Oxford comma is obligatory (we use it in our posts here at LingoCulture), in French there’s no debate: we never put a comma between the last two items in a list.

• Je vais prendre un cornet avec chocolat, vanille et noisette, s’il vous plaît. – I’ll take a cone with chocolate, vanilla, and hazelnut, please.

Commas are used differently with numbers in French. Whereas in English they generally separate the thousands, in French la virgule serves as the decimal point. The thousands are instead separated either by spaces, or by periods. See our post on counting in French for more info.

• Il faut multiplier ce chiffre par 3,31459. – You have to multiply this number by 3.14159.
• Cette maison coûte € 1.200.000. – Cette maison coûte € 1 200 000. – This house costs €1,200,000.

; The semicolon – Le point-virgule

The semicolon in French isn’t used very often, similarly to in English. Le point-virgule has the same function of separating two distinct phrases that still have some logical link. When speaking, it indicates a short pause between the phrases.

Remember that it takes a space that separates it from the previous word. The following word is not capitalized, as it’s not considered to be the start of a new sentence.

• Mon vol transatlantique arrive à Paris à huit heures du matin ; j’y ai un escale de deux heures. – My transatlantic flight arrives in Paris at eight o’clock in the morning; I have a two-hour layover there.

: The colon – Le deux-points

Most of the uses of this French punctuation mark are the same as in English: to introduce an explanation (like in this sentence), to introduce a consequence, to introduce a list, etc. When spoken, it indicates a noticeable pause.

Remember what we saw about the French space before punctuation: le deux-points always takes this space in normal sentences.

• Les seules articles permis sur le bureau durant l’examen : 2 crayons a mine, 1 gomme à effacer, une bouteille d’eau. – The sole items permitted on the desk during the exam: 2 lead pencils, 1 eraser, 1 water bottle.

Le deux-points is also used to introduce direct speech in French. When followed by a direct quote, les guillements come after le deux-points.

• Elle m’a demandé : « c’est qui ce mec ? » – She asked me, “who’s this guy?”

What about writing the time in French? In fact, rather than using a colon, the hours and minutes are usually separated by the lowercase letter h. Use of the colon in its place is common enough though, in which case, like in English, there is no space between the colon and the numbers on either side. See our dedicated post for everything you need to know about telling time in French.

• Je dois prendre le bus à 08h07 si je veux arriver à temps pour le vol qui part à 11h40. – Je dois prendre le bus à 08:07 si je veux arriver à temps pour le vol qui part à 11:40. – I need to take the bus at 8:07 if I want to arrive on time for the flight that leaves at 11:40

… The ellipsis – Les points de suspension

This punctuation mark has similar uses in French as in English. In general, the ellipsis is used to suggest that the phrase is unfinished, with les points de suspension standing in for whatever words are omitted.

• Il faut ranger la vaisselle, sortir la poubelle, passer le balais, plier le linge… – We need to put away the dishes, take out the trash, sweep the floor, fold the laundry…

– The hyphen – Le trait d’union

There is no space before and after a hyphen, as it creates a link between multiple words or parts of words. There are many contexts where we use un trait d’union in French, so we’ll look at each one here.

The hyphen is used in French for inversions. French inversions are constantly used when forming questions instead of using est-ce que.

• Aimez-vous les chiens? – Do you like dogs?

• Quand vas-tu au cinéma avec ta copine? – When are you going to the movies with your girlfriend?

This inversion even triggers an extra letter between the two words in order to aid in the pronunciation. Called the t euphonique, this is not a word with any meaning; it’s simply used to link two vowel sounds. The t euphonique only ever exists between two traits d’union.

• Va-t-elle avec toi toute seule, ou emmène-t-elle sa fille aussi ? – Is she going with you alone, or is she bringing her daughter too?

Le trait d’union is used in French when using the imperative to give orders.

• Aide-la à ranger les affaires. – Help her put the things away.

• Vas-t’en. – Go away.

Hyphens are often used for prefixes and suffixes like in English.

• Espace non-fumeur – no-smoking zone

• Merci de fournir la déclaration pré-remplie. – Please submit the declaration, pre-filled out.

Certain French expressions have hyphens.

• C’est-à-dire – It means, In regards to, That’s to say

• Là-bas – Over there

• Celui-là – That one

Similarly to in English, hyphens are used for compound words. They are also very common in hyphenated names. Written French numbers up to 100 are connected by un trait d’union.

• Cinquante-trois – fifty-three

• Un couvre-feu – a curfew

• Jean-Louis

Another use of the hyphen which exists in both French and English, solely for writing purposes, is to link two parts of a word that breaks at the end of a line. In French, this is called une césure. In both languages, the break needs to happen between two syllables.

• Le gouvernement a tenté de passer cette loi anticonstitution-
  ellement.

— The em dash – Le tiret

The em dash is slightly longer than the hyphen, and both are usually typed using the same key on the keyboard. You know you’re looking at a hyphen because it’s connected to the adjacent words, whereas with em dashes they’re on their own.

Le tiret in French is used in dialogues to indicate a change in speaker. We’ll cover this use in the next section on guillemets.

Em dashes are used to create lists, serving as quick bullet points.

Les tirets are also used similarly to English to create an aside within a sentence, namely to emphasize a point or to make an interjection within the overall phrase.

• Geraldine – mon ennemi au travail – a eu une promotion aujourd’hui. – Geraldine – my enemy at work – got a promotion today.

Here at the LingoCulture blog, we also use the em dash to separate our English and French example sentences!

( ) Parentheses – Les parenthèses

Les parenthèses in French function the same way as in English: to separate a related but distinct phrase from the rest of the sentence. The other punctuation of the sentence follows the closing parenthesis.

• Géraldine (avec son air maline) a encore quitté le travail plus tôt (comme elle le fait tous les vendredis). – Géraldine (with her sly look) left work early again (as she does every Friday).

« » French angle quotation marks – Les guillemets

Quotation marks in French, known as les guillemets, are different symbols for quotations than in English. In English, quotation marks look like “ ” whereas in French they look like « ».

Les guillemets are used at the beginning and end of the entire dialogue instead of at the end of each utterance. An em-dash, known in French as un tiret, is used to show the change in speaker.

Generally, angle quotes indicate expressions, dialogues, irony, titles of books, TV shows, etc. Native French speakers tend to prefer angle quotes, and your French keyboard will normally insert them for you. If you forget to switch from English to French quotation marks, have no fear, English quotation marks are becoming more and more accepted as time goes on.

“ ” English quotation marks – Les guillements anglais

These French punctuation marks are not very common, since the guillemets we saw above are usually used to enclose any dialogues. Nonetheless, they are still recognized in French, so you can certainly get away with using them and be understood. For most quoting though, stick to the French quotation marks we looked at above.

There is one recognized use for these English quotation marks in French, which is when there’s a quote within a quote. In such cases, the double angle quotes are used for the overall dialogue, while these guillemets anglais are used within the dialogue. In contrast to the other double punctuation marks we’ve seen so far, it’s acceptable to use this foreign one with no additional space between it and the adjacent letter.

’ The apostrophe – L’apostrophe

With this punctuation mark, French only uses it to create contractions, namely to facilitate pronunciation.

• S’il vous plaît – If you please (s’il is a contraction of si il)

• L’air – The air (l’air is a contraction of la air)

As we saw in the previous section, l’apostrophe is not used to separate a dialogue.

The apostrophe is also not used to denote possession, like with the English ’s. The French equivalent uses the preposition “de”.

Conclusion: French punctuation

Today we looked at all of the French punctuation marks, examining their similarities and differences with their English counterparts. Fortunately for English-speaking French learners, most of the punctuation marks in French follow similar rules to English!

We started off with a list of punctuation in French, with their names in both languages. We also looked specifically at the French space before punctuation, noting that this rule affects the punctuation marks that are composed of multiple elements. We noted that the extra space is not applied in Canadian French.

Then we got into each French punctuation mark, one by one. While most are indeed similar to English, we were able to note any specific nuances that apply to the punctuation in French. In addition to the extra space before certain punctuation marks, we saw that the biggest difference relates to French quotation marks. We also looked at different uses for periods and commas in contexts such as abbreviations and numbers.

The best way to boost your confidence and memory of French punctuation rules is to read in French as much as possible. As you continue your French learning journey, you’ll be prepared to implement perfect French punctuation in your own writing as well. Just refer back to this post every time you need a quick reminder!