9 Key Japanese Punctuation Marks That Will Make a Assertion

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With out punctuation, written English can be tough to learn—particularly for a non-native speaker! This text has already used 4 several types of punctuation, and there’s extra to return. What about Japanese punctuation? By no means concern: A lot of the punctuation marks in Japanese will already be acquainted to you.

That can assist you get began, we’ve compiled a information for the 9 most important Japanese punctuation marks. You’ll see loads of instance sentences so that you can know the way to use them. When you’ve obtained the fundamentals down, study extra with Rosetta Stone! You’ll have already got a head begin on comprehending the sentences and immersive tales written by native audio system. 

Does Japanese have punctuation marks?

Sure! There are dozens of punctuation marks in Japanese starting from the straightforward interval to obscure symbols solely utilized in a number of extremely particular conditions. In a language with out areas, similar to Japanese, punctuation is a useful software.

Punctuation in Japanese is known as yakumono (約物), and it’s a comparatively new a part of the language. Following World Warfare II, the Japanese authorities performed a broad language reform to standardize sure facets of the trendy Japanese language, similar to romanization and the Japanese phonetic alphabets. This additionally included the formal adoption of many Western punctuation marks, since Japanese hardly ever used punctuation as much as the nineteenth century. 

Horizontal textual content vs. vertical textual content

Do you know that Japanese may be written both vertically or horizontally? Historically, it was learn in columns: prime to backside so as from proper to left. When Western texts began turning into extra widespread in Japan through the nineteenth century, horizontal writing regularly grew to become essentially the most accepted orientation for the Japanese language.

The punctuation marks on this information are all within the horizontal orientation. When utilizing punctuation in vertical writing, most of them look the identical. The notable exceptions are parentheses, brackets, and dashes, that are turned 90 levels clockwise.

Probably the most important Japanese punctuation marks

Obscure punctuation just like the Japanese asterisk (※) and double angle brackets (《　》) may be helpful, however you’re unlikely to make use of them day-after-day. Right here’s an inventory of essentially the most generally used Japanese punctuation marks you’ll use most frequently.

1. Interval: 。

Though they give the impression of being completely different, the Japanese interval features virtually identically to the English interval. It goes on the finish of a sentence to mark it as full. Formally, it’s known as kuten (句点), actually which means “sentence level.” Colloquially, it’s known as maru (マル・丸), which merely means “circle” attributable to its look.

• Bunmatsu wa kuten de owarimasu.（文末は句点で終わります。）= Sentences finish in a interval.

2. Comma: 、

The Japanese comma is similar to the English comma, however the guidelines surrounding its use are far more lax. For instance, lists in English require commas to separate them, however lists in Japanese don’t require commas:

• Yamamoto to nakamura to inoue to rāmenya ni ikimashita.（山本と中村と井上とラーメン屋に行きました。）= I went to a ramen store with Yamamoto, Nakamura, and Inoue.

Whereas non-obligatory, commas are a great way to counsel a pause. The which means stays the identical, however the stream of the sentence modifications barely.

• Romano san wa itaria kara kite nihonjin no otoko no hito to kekkon shimashita.（ロマノさんはイタリアから来て日本人の男の人と結婚しました。）= Ms. Romano got here from Italy and married a Japanese man.
• Romano san wa itaria kara kite, nihonjin no otoko no hito to kekkon shimashita.（ロマノさんはイタリアから来て、日本人の男の人と結婚しました。）= Ms. Romano got here from Italy, and she or he married a Japanese man.

3. Exclamation mark: ！

Exclamation marks go on the finish of sentences infused with emotion! Exterior of dialogue, it’s commonest to see them in casual content material like texts and social media. Formal writing similar to information articles have a tendency to not use them. The informal Japanese time period for an exclamation mark is bikkuri māku (びっくりマーク), which accurately means “shock mark.” How applicable!

• Kya! kumo da!（きゃっ！クモだ！）= Eek! A spider!

4. Query mark: ？

One of many many Japanese particles is a brief phrase that goes on the finish of a query: ka (か). It has the identical operate as a query mark in a whole sentence, so formal writing favors use of the particle adopted by a typical interval.

• Nani o yondeimasu ka.（何を読んでいますか。）= What are you studying?

With out the query particle, questions are identifiable in speech by the rising intonation on the finish of the sentence. Since inflections aren’t inherently mirrored in Japanese writing, including a query mark on the finish of the sentence (often informal) makes it extra apparent.

• Nani o yondeiru?（何を読んでいる？）= What’re you studying?
• Daijōbu?（大丈夫？）= [Are you] okay?

>> Questions on query marks? Rosetta Stone Tutoring will help!

5. Interpunct: ・

The Japanese phrase for this punctuation mark is nakaguro (中黒), which accurately means “center black,” referring to it being a black dot between phrases. It’s used to separate phrases in lists (as a comma various), international names, and some different particular instances. When itemizing objects with an interpunct, the objects have to be in the identical class.

• tōkyō・kyōto・hiroshima = 東京・京都・広島 = Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima

Utilizing an interpunct for international names is important as a result of katakana (片仮名)—one of many Japanese phonetic alphabets—is used for international names virtually solely. Japanese names are often written in kanji (漢字, Chinese language characters), with roughly 4-6 particular person characters mixed for each the given identify and surname. In the meantime, katakana can seem as a protracted string of characters that’s tough to parse except the identify is acquainted. 

• teirā・suuifuto = テイラー・スウィフト = Taylor Swift
• ānorudo・shuwarutseneggā = アーノルド・シュワルツェネッガー = Arnold Schwarzenegger
• jēmuzu・āru・jōnzu = ジェームズ・アール・ジョーンズ = James Earl Jones

6. Wave sprint: ～

Comparable in form to a tilde (~), the Japanese wave sprint (～) signifies ranges and abbreviations. It’s usually seen in language sources—similar to Japanese counter guides—to point prefixes, suffixes, and different elements of a phrase that will likely be stuffed in.

• getsuyōbi ～ kinyōbi (月曜日～金曜日）= Monday – Friday
• ～mashō（～ましょう）= verb conjugation for “let’s”

The wave sprint can be used to point out a drawn-out vowel sound or vocal inflection in writing. In English, we do that by repeating the letter we’re drawing out deliberately (niiiiice). This punctuation works completely with the cute Japanese phrases present in informal dialog!

• Meccha kawaii ne～ (めっちゃ可愛いね～）= Sooo cute, proper?

7. Ellipsis: …

The three-dot ellipsis is known as a santen rīdā (三点リーダー), or “three dot chief,” in Japanese Nevertheless, in contrast to the English ellipsis, it’s not restricted to being three dots. A rīdā (chief) may be anyplace from two dots to 9 dots (three santen rīdā in a row) or extra, relying on stylistic selections. Probably the most putting distinction is that rīdā are sometimes within the middle of the road of textual content (the place you’d discover a hyphen or em sprint) somewhat than on the backside of the letters, like in English.

Japanese ellipses have a number of makes use of, together with:

• To indicate silence or pauses in dialogue
• To point a sentence trailing off
• To omit a part of a sentence
• To attach associated phrases and objects (similar to in a desk of contents)

Merely put, Japanese ellipses are used virtually identically to ellipses in English.

• Nē, chiyo chan…kiite kureru?（ねぇ、千代ちゃん…聞いてくれる？）= Hey, Chiyo… Will you please pay attention?

8. Parentheses:（ ）

There are a number of varieties of parentheses in Japanese, however three of them are used extra generally than the others. All are known as kakko (括弧) with a further prefix that differentiates them.

The primary sort, marukakko, are the usual parentheses. Like in English, they provide extra context inside sentences. A notable use that’s particular to Japanese is explaining the way to learn kanji. This will additionally assist along with your Japanese pronunciation.

• marukakko (ma-ru-ka-k-ko) = 丸括弧（まるかっこ）= rounded parentheses

Squared brackets (［　］) are much less widespread and have restricted use. They’re typically seen when together with extra context inside present parentheses somewhat than utilizing two units of parentheses.

• kotoshi [2024 nen (reiwa 6 nen)] = 今年［２０２４年（令和６年）］= this 12 months (2024 (Reiwa 6))

The third sort of parentheses is also referred to as “lenticular brackets,” and there’s no English equal. They’re primarily used initially of necessary data like dates and areas for emails, articles, flyers, and different related types of writing.

• 【kaijō】kyōto eki =【会場】京都駅 = Location: Kyoto Station
• 【sokuhōchū】fukushima de jishin =【速報中】福島で地震 = Breaking Information: Earthquake in Fukushima

9. Citation marks: 「　」

There are two varieties of citation marks in Japanese: single brackets (「　」) and double brackets (『　』). Each carry out the identical operate as English citation marks (“ ”) in that they go round quoted content material. This consists of:

• Quoted speech and dialogue
• Emphasizing correct nouns
• Emphasizing part of a sentence 

In contrast to English, durations or commas don’t go inside the citation marks when quoting a sentence. As a substitute, the interval (。) is ignored fully.

• 「Ii ne, ikimashō」to itta.（「いいね、行きましょう」と言った。）= “Sounds good, let’s go,” they stated.

Double brackets have two major features: surrounding quotes inside quotes and titles of works (similar to books and flicks). Quotes inside quotes are achieved in English through the use of singular citation marks (‘ ’) inside the higher quote surrounded by double citation marks (“ ”). In English, works are italicized, whereas double brackets (『　』) are utilized in Japanese: 

• 『kōman to henken』=『高慢と偏見』= Delight and Prejudice
• 『sen to chihiro no kamikakushi』=『千と千尋の神隠し』= Spirited Away

Many Japanese punctuation marks had been straight borrowed from Western languages like English, however the citation marks utilized in Japanese might take getting used to. When mastering Japanese, it’s necessary to turn out to be aware of the entire most important punctuation—and you may quote us on that!