{"id":101,"date":"2009-06-05T10:20:20","date_gmt":"2009-06-05T14:20:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=98"},"modified":"2009-06-05T10:20:20","modified_gmt":"2009-06-05T14:20:20","slug":"french-grammar-punctuation-marks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/french-grammar-punctuation-marks\/","title":{"rendered":"French Grammar – Punctuation Marks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Punctuation is sometimes different in the French language.\u00a0 I first came across this when reading Albert Camus’ La Chute<\/em> in my literature class at the Sorbonne back when I was a student in Paris.\u00a0 I found it so bizarre to see the direct speech noted in the sentence \u00ab <\/strong>Voulez-vous d’une vie propre?\u00a0 Comme tout le monde? \u00bb<\/strong> (Would you like your own life?\u00a0 Like everyone else?).\u00a0 I added the bold type just so you would notice what I was talking about.\u00a0 I found these little marks to be so odd at the time. \u00a0I soon came to realize that this is how direct speech is marked in French…they don’t use ‘normal’ apostrophe marks! \u00a0So, remembering this, I thought I would write about punctuation today.<\/p>\n

Le point<\/em><\/strong> (.<\/strong>) is used at the end of a sentence and in abbreviations much like in English.\u00a0 It is also used in numbers to show thousands (1.750).
\nLa virgule<\/em><\/strong> (,<\/strong>) is used to mark a pause between groups, also much like in English.\u00a0 It is also used to show decimals (0,50)
\nLe point-virgule<\/em><\/strong> (;<\/strong>) is used to make a pause between clauses.
\nLes deux points<\/em><\/strong> (:<\/strong>) is used to announce an explanation or a citation, also much like in English.
\nLes guillemets<\/em><\/strong> (\u00ab\u00a0\u00bb<\/strong>) are used for statements in direct speech (in a dialogue) and citations.
\nLes parenth\u00e8ses<\/em><\/strong> (()<\/strong>) are used for side remarks.
\nLes points de suspension<\/em><\/strong> (…<\/strong>) are used at the end of unfinished sentences.
\nLe tiret <\/em><\/strong>(–<\/strong>) shows a change in speaker when writing in direct speech (in a dialogue) and when enumerating in a list, for example.
\nL’apostrophe<\/em><\/strong> (\u2018<\/strong>) replaces an \u2018a’ or \u2018e’ when taken out of a word to combine with another word.
\nLe c-c\u00e9dille<\/em><\/strong> (\u00e7<\/strong>) is pronounced \u2018s’ before an \u2018a’ or ‘o’ or \u2018u’.
\nLe trait d’union<\/em><\/strong> (–<\/strong>) to link compound words (avant-garde<\/em>) and divide words at the end of a line (fran- \u00e7ais<\/em>).\u00a0 And remember, if you don’t have enough room at then end of your line, you should divide words after a vowel or between two consonants unless the second consonant is an ‘r’ or ‘l’.\u00a0 Ex: ma-man, change-ment, ac-cent, prop-ret, ta-ble, th\u00e9\u00e2-tre<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Punctuation is sometimes different in the French language.\u00a0 I first came across this when reading Albert Camus’ La Chute in my literature class at the Sorbonne back when I was a student in Paris.\u00a0 I found it so bizarre to see the direct speech noted in the sentence \u00ab Voulez-vous d’une vie propre?\u00a0 Comme tout…<\/p>\n

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