Punctuation in French Made Easy: A Beginner’s Guide with a Handy Mnemonic
Introduction
Learning French can be exciting, but sometimes small details like punctuation, can trip you up. French punctuation may look similar to English, but don’t be fooled. There are some important differences you should know, especially if you’re just starting out. In this post, we’ll walk you through the basics of la ponctuation and give you a simple mnemonic to make it easier to remember.
What is la ponctuation?
La ponctuation simply means punctuation in French. Just like in English, punctuation marks help organize writing, clarify meaning, and show emotion or emphasis. However, some punctuation marks in French come with special rules, especially regarding spacing.
Basic French Punctuation Marks
Here are the most common punctuation marks in French and how they’re used:
| Punctuation | French Name | English Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| . | le point | period / full stop | Ends a sentence. |
| , | la virgule | comma | Used to separate elements in a sentence. |
| ; | le point-virgule | semicolon | A soft stop; separates related ideas. |
| : | les deux-points | colon | Introduces an explanation or list. Add a space before. |
| ? | le point d’interrogation | question mark | Used for questions. Add a space before. |
| ! | le point d’exclamation | exclamation mark | Shows strong emotion. Add a space before. |
| « » | les guillemets | quotation marks | French quotes. Add spaces inside the quotes. |
| … | les points de suspension | ellipsis | Shows a pause or omission. |
| ( ) | la parenthèse | parentheses | Used to insert additional information or asides. |
| [ ] | le crochet | square brackets | Often used for editorial comments or clarifications. |
| / | la barre | slash | Used to separate alternatives or in fractions. |
| - | le tiret | dash / hyphen | Connects words or indicates a range. |
| @ | l'arobase | at sign | Commonly used in email addresses. |
| * | l'astérisque | asterisk | Indicates a footnote or annotation. |
Mnemonic: "FRENCH Space Rules!"
Use this mnemonic to remember punctuation rules:
F.R.E.N.C.H.
- F = French quotes (« ») need spaces inside.
- R = Remember to add a space before
: ; ? !
- E = Exclamation mark (!) needs a space before it.
- N = No space before commas (,) and periods.
- C = Colon (:) gets a space before.
- H = Have fun using stylish guillemets. ("")
Final Tips
- Spacing: In French, certain punctuation marks require a space before them:
:,;,?,!, and« ». This is usually a non-breaking space, but you can use a regular space if you're typing casually. - Quotation Marks: Instead of “double quotes,” French uses angle quotes (« »), with spaces inside.
- Decimal and Thousands Separators: French uses a comma instead of a dot for decimals (e.g., 3,14 instead of 3.14), and a space for thousands (e.g., 1 000 instead of 1,000).
Try It Yourself!
Here’s a sentence in French. Can you spot the punctuation?
👉 Pierre a demandé : « Où est la bibliothèque ? »
Take a look: There’s a space before the colon and the question mark, and spaces inside the French quotation marks!
