Japanese ponctuation

The Japanese language also has its own punctuation system. In this course, we will cover fourteen punctuation categories, most of them with some peculiarities, notably how western punctuation influenced a little bit that of the Japanese language. For example, the use of the exclamation mark and the question mark in informal writing, especially manga...

Japanese can be written horizontally or vertically, and some punctuation marks adapt to this change of direction. Brackets, curved hooks, square quotes, ellipses, dashes, and rotated dashes are rotated 90° clockwise when used in vertical text.

I will give you the name of these punctuations. You are free to memorize them if you wish.

I will also give you sentences as examples. I chose not to put the translation so that you only focus on the punctuation marks. For the moment, understanding the meaning of the sentences doesn’t really matter, but don’t worry, you’ll learn more about sentence’s construction when we start grammar. You can always come back later.

。Point (maru)

It is used to end a sentence. It can be used for affirmative sentences but also interrogative sentences although in informal writings and manga we can also use western question marks.

Example : 私は猫が好きです。

、Comma (ten)

It is in the form of a slash going from top left to bottom right and is equivalent to the English comma and semicolon. It allows you to impose a pause within a sentence.

Example : 全く、君は弱虫だよ。

・Separation point (nakaten / nakaguro)

Used to separate items from a list or to signal the start and end of words of foreign origin.

Example : ハリー・ポッター

. Date point (piriodo)

Used for dates to separate the year from the month of the day.

Example : 2019.12.16

・・・Suspension points (tensen)

It is a point located halfway up and always used in packs of three. It marks the end of a statement when the sentence is not complete ; this indicates to the reader that the previous sentence could have been continued.

Example : このケーキを食べたい・・・

! Exclamation mark (kantanfu)

It is used as in English, to indicate volume or emotion, even if its use is relatively new and still rare.

Example : 目の前にキツネが八匹いる！

? Question mark (gimonfu)

It is much less used in Japanese than in English, in particular, in formal language, because there is a grammatical marker which, placed at the end of a sentence, already indicates that it is a question : か (the syllable ka). However, in everyday language, this grammar marker is often accompanied by a question mark.

Example : 隣の家には誰が住んでいるの?

ー Lengthening dash (nakasen)

Do you remember the lengthening dash to mark the lengthening of the syllable in katakana ? We can use it to mark a suspension in the sentence. We can put several to mark a longer suspension.

Example : えっとーーーー

〜 Tilde (namigata)

Used to signify a duration, as in 月曜日〜金曜日, « Monday to Friday ». Often replaced by a tilde (～) in horizontal writing or on computers. Can also be used to mark a pause in the sentence. We can put several to mark a longer suspension.

Example : うわ〜〜〜 !

「」Hooks / Quotes (kakko)

Instead of our ‘single’ or « doubles » quotes, the Japanese use half hooks. The most common are the single quotes 「」. The double quotes 『』 are only used when we want to quote the name of a work, a video game, a comic, a series, the title of a film..., in which case the double quotes surround the single quotes. Sometimes Japanese people also use hooks like this, 〈〉, or like this 《》. They also use parentheses in the same way as Westerners, ().

Example : 「狐」の漢字を書う。
『ゼルダの伝説』のゲームを買う。

testUnderline mark (wakisen)

The underline marks the importance of an element in the sentence, just like in Western languages.

Example : 死活問題

＊ Asterisk (hoshijirushi / asuterisuku)

It’s simply an asterisk. Used in notes.

Example : キリンは哺乳類＊です。

There are also other symbols like repeat characters :

々〃ゝゞヽヾ are what are called kurikaeshi 繰り返し . くりかえし.

々 = repeating the foregoing kanji. Example : 正正堂堂 → 正々堂々. Example : 時時 → 時々 Example : 神神 → 神々

Namely, 時 . とき means « the time ». And 時々 .ときどき means « from time to time ».

神 . かみ means « the god, the deity » in the singular. And 神々 . かみがみ means « the gods, the deities » in the plural.

ゝ = repeating the foregoing hiragana. Example : はゝ、こゝ.

ゞ = repeating the foregoing hiragana, but with the 濁点 . ダクテン Example : ほゞ = ほぼ

ヽ = repeating the foregoing katakana Example : ハヽ、 コヽ

ヾ = repeating the foregoing katakana, but with the 濁点 . ダクテン Example : ホヾ = ホボ

Apart from this kurikaeshi, 々, the other symbols are practically no longer used in Japanese. But at least you know by now that they exist.

There is still one last 繰り返し . くりかえし so-called nonojiten :〃. Called nonojiten or nonoten because of its resemblance to a double katakana ノ (no).

It is used to avoid rewriting the same word several times, especially in schedules. For example, you don’t want to have to rewrite the word « school », several times, you will use a nonojiten 〃.

日曜日 → 暇
月曜日 → 学校
火曜日 → 〃
水曜日 → 〃
木曜日 → 〃
金曜日 → 〃
土曜日 → 絵画クラブ

Before coming to the conclusion, I finally decided to put you below the list of names of Japanese punctuation marks. As said above, in the introduction, you don’t have to remember them but for those of you who are interested, here is :

丸 . 丸 . まる . point; round
点 . テン . comma
中点 . なかテン . separation point
中黒 . なかぐろ . separation point
ピリオド . piriodo
点線 . テンセン . suspension points
感嘆符 . カンタンフ . exclamation mark
疑問符 . ギモンフ . interrogation mark
中線 . なかセン . lengthening dash
波形 . なみがた . tilde
括弧 . カッコ . hooks / quotes
脇線 . わきセン . underline
星印 . ほしじるし . asterisk
アスタリスク . asterisk
繰り返し . くりかえし . repeat character
濁点 . ダクテン . dakuten (Japanese accent)
半濁点 . ハンダクテン . handakuten
ノノ字点 . ノノジテン . katakana-like repetition character ノ
ノノ点 . ノノテン . katakana-like repetition character ノ

You now know everything you need to know about Japanese punctuation. As usual, do not hesitate to revise this lesson as often as necessary. Also, feel free to revise the previous courses and go to the next course when you are ready.

Note : did you know ? 波形 . なみがた is also a Japanese family name !