{"id":5302,"date":"2012-07-16T06:00:48","date_gmt":"2012-07-16T10:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/?p=5302"},"modified":"2014-07-15T14:10:15","modified_gmt":"2014-07-15T18:10:15","slug":"how-to-use-punctuation-signs-in-spanish-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/how-to-use-punctuation-signs-in-spanish-i\/","title":{"rendered":"How to use punctuation signs in Spanish (I)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today we are going to start a series of posts about how to use punctuation signs in Spanish.<\/p>\n

1. El punto [period]<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

There are three kinds of specific puntos in Spanish:<\/p>\n

[1]<\/strong> – punto y seguido<\/em> = indicates a separation between clauses that are related
\n[2]<\/strong> – punto y aparte<\/em> = shows the end of the topic and the beginning of a new one
\n[3] <\/strong>– punto final<\/em> = indicates the end of a topic<\/p>\n

Here’s an example in this extract.<\/p>\n

Doce pa\u00edses (con m\u00e1s de 340 millones de ciudadanos) forman la Comunidad Europea [1]<\/strong>. Estos son: La Rep\u00fablica Federal de Alemania, Francia, Italia, Gran Breta\u00f1a, B\u00e9lgica, Los Pa\u00edses Bajos, Dinamarca, Irlanda, Grecia, Luxemburgo, Portugal y Espa\u00f1a [2]<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Desde principios de 1993 existe la libre circulaci\u00f3n de mercanc\u00edas, personas, servicios y capital entre los pa\u00edses miembros de la Comunidad. [3]<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

2. Los puntos suspensivos [ellipsis]<\/strong><\/p>\n

Los puntos suspensivos<\/strong> usually have the following functions:<\/p>\n

a. Indicate interruption of thought or hesitation, incertidumbre.<\/p>\n

– Ma\u00f1ana ir\u00e1s a… \u00a1Me he olvidado lo que quer\u00eda decir! [Tomorrow you will go to… I’ve forgotten what I wanted to say!]<\/em>
\nNo s\u00e9 si debo comprar el coche. Es muy bueno, pero… [I don’t know if I should buy the car. It’s very good, but…]<\/em><\/p>\n

b. Show the interruption of a character in a dialogue by another character.<\/p>\n

– Si quieres tener buena salud, debes… [If you want to have good health, you must…]<\/em>
\n– \u00a1Te empe\u00f1as en decirme lo que debo hacer! [You keep telling me what to do!]<\/em><\/p>\n

c. Reinforce the idea of an irony.<\/p>\n

\u00a1Qu\u00e9 burro! La racionalidad no era su fuerte… [How stupid! Rationality isn’t his strong point…]<\/em><\/p>\n

d. Suggest the continuation of an idea or fact.<\/p>\n

Nadie… ning\u00fan ruido… todo a oscuras… [Nobody… no noise… everything dark…]<\/em>
\nY la vida pasa… [And life passes by…]<\/em><\/p>\n

e. Show that a part of an original text has been deleted.<\/p>\n

“Doce pa\u00edses … forman la Comunidad Europea.” [Twelve countries … make up the European Community.]<\/em><\/p>\n

3. La coma [the comma]<\/strong><\/p>\n

La coma<\/strong> is used:<\/p>\n

a. before mas<\/strong>, pero<\/strong> [but]<\/em>, aunque<\/strong> [although, though]<\/em>.<\/p>\n

No faltar\u00e9 a la fiesta, aunque estoy malo. [I won’t miss the party, even though I’m ill.]<\/em>
\nEstoy malo, pero no faltar\u00e9 a la fiesta. [I’m ill, but I won’t miss the party.]<\/em><\/p>\n

b. to separate non-defining clauses.<\/p>\n

Este se\u00f1or, que es muy rico, ha comprado una casa. [This man, who’s very rich, has bought a house.]<\/p>\n

c. Before and after en efecto<\/strong> [actually]<\/em>, finalmente<\/strong> [finally]<\/em>, es decir<\/strong> [that is]<\/em>, esto es<\/strong> [that is]<\/em>, por consiguiente<\/strong> [therefore]<\/em>, en fin<\/strong> [finally]<\/em>.<\/p>\n

He conseguido, finalmente<\/strong> acabar de escribir la carta. [I have finally managed to finish writing the letter.]<\/em>
\n\u00c9l vive en la capital de Espa\u00f1a, esto es<\/strong>, Madrid. [He lives in the capital of Spain, that is, Madrid.]<\/em><\/p>\n

d. With numbers.<\/p>\n

Compr\u00e9 sellos, sobres, papel de carta y una goma. [I bought stamps, envelopes, letter paper and some glue.]<\/em><\/p>\n

e. When you modifiy the common order of a sentence structure.<\/p>\n

Me qued\u00e9 sorprendida con lo que me dijiste. [I was surprised with what you told me.]<\/em>
\nCon lo que me dijiste, me qued\u00e9 sorprendida. [With what you said, I was surprised.]<\/em><\/p>\n

f. Before or after vocatives.<\/p>\n

Ni\u00f1os, la comida est\u00e1 lista. [Kids, food’s ready.]<\/em>
\nVen aqu\u00ed, Jos\u00e9. [Come here, Jos\u00e9.]<\/em><\/p>\n

Adapted from Espa\u00f1ol sin Fronteras (vol. 3)<\/p>\n

Want more free resources to learn Spanish<\/a>? Check out the other goodies we offer to help make your language learning efforts a daily habit.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Today we are going to start a series of posts about how to use punctuation signs in Spanish. 1. El punto [period] There are three kinds of specific puntos in Spanish: [1] – punto y seguido = indicates a separation between clauses that are related [2] – punto y aparte = shows the end of…<\/p>\n

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