Signos de Puntuación
Signo from Latin signum ('sign, mark'). Puntuación from Latin punctum ('point, tiny mark'), originally 'a prick', from pungere ('to prick').
Signos de puntuación (punctuation marks) are the system and method of using symbols when writing, so that written communication has the same expressiveness as spoken language. These symbols help convey the sense of what is being written, and also divide sentences, paragraphs, etc. in a text so that it is clearer.
Below you will see some symbols — each of them has additional meanings you will study later in "Signos de puntuación"; for now, they are shown here only as examples.
Examples
| Sign | Name | Use |
|---|---|---|
| . | Punto (period / full stop) | Shows that the sentence is finished |
| , | Coma (comma) | Used for a brief pause within a sentence |
| ¿? | Interrogación (question marks) | Show that a question is being asked |
| ¡! | Exclamación (exclamation marks) | Show surprise, strong emotion, or emphasis |
Note the opening marks ¿ and ¡ — these exist only in Spanish. English uses only a closing ? or !.