Written French looks very similar to English, so reading books in French should feel familiar. For the most part, French uses the same punctuation marks, and they function in much the same way as in English.

Les Crochets (Brackets)

Brackets, called les crochets, are often used to show words inserted into quoted text to help explain the original.

Les Deux-Points (Colon)

The colon, called les deux-points, is used to introduce another phrase that is related to the previous one. Usually, the following phrase will be an elaboration on a point or something that explains the sentence more clearly. The colon functions the same in both languages.

La Virgule (Comma)

The comma, called la virgule, is used in the same way as English uses it, but note that French also uses une virgule when indicating an amount of money. For example, 1.25 in English would be 1,25 in French.

Le Point D'exclamation (Exclamation Point)

An exclamation point, called le point d'exclamation, is used at the end of a sentence to indicate an element of surprise, excitement, or other intense emotion. The usage between French and English is, for the most part, interchangeable.

Les Parenthèses (Parentheses)

Parentheses, called les parenthèses, are used in the same way as in English, usually to refer to an aside statement without interrupting the flow of the sentence. Wrapping a phrase in parentheses indicates that the phrase is meant to elaborate but at the same time be self-sustaining, separate from the phrase that appears around it.

Le Point (Period)

The period, called le point, is used at the end of a sentence; any time you use a period in English, you can do the same in French, except when indicating amounts of money.

Le Point d'Interrogation (Question Mark)

A question mark, called le point d'interrogation, is used to indicate a question. In written French, you will most often see est-ce que used to indicate a question; in dialogue, however, you may encounter inversion or even plain sentences that use a question mark (see Chapter 7). In the latter case, the dialogue is intended to be read with intonation; the question mark is your clue.

Les Guillemets (Quotation Marks)

French quotation marks, called les guillemets, appear slightly different from English ones. Instead of using symbols that look like commas like we do in English, French uses small double arrows that wrap around the quotation, as follows: