Spanish vs. English punctuation
Although Spanish and English use almost the same punctuation, there a
few significant differences to consider. Here are some of the uses that a
Translator should not disregard.
Period
In Spanish the period is used basically the same as in English, coming
at the end of sentences and most abbreviations. However, in Spanish numerals, a comma is often used instead of a period and vice
versa.
- She earned $16,416.87 last year.
- Ganó $16.416,87 el año pasado.
Comma
The comma usually is used the
same as in English, being used to indicate a break in thought or to set off
clauses or words. One difference is that in lists, there is no comma between
the next-to-last item and the y, whereas in
English some writers use a comma before the "and." This use in
English is sometimes called the serial comma or the Oxford comma.
- I bought a shirt, two shoes, and three books.
- Compré
una camisa, dos zapatos y tres libros.
- I came, Isaw, I conquered.
- Vine,
vi y vencí.
Dash
The dash is used most
frequently in Spanish to indicate a change in speakers during a dialogue, thus
replacing quotation marks. In English, it is very common to separate each
speaker's remarks into a separate paragraph, but that typically isn't done in
Spanish.
- —
¿Cómo estás? — Muy bien ¿y tú? — Muy bien también.
- "How
are you?"
- "I'm
fine. And you?"
- "I'm
fine too."
Dashes can also be used to set off material from the
rest of the text, much as they are in English.
- If you want a cup of coffee — it's very nice —
you can buy it here.
- Si
quieres una taza de café — es muy agradable — puedes comprarla aquí.
Quotation Marks
The angled quotation marks and the English-style quotation marks are equivalent. The main
difference between the English and Spanish uses of quotation marks is that
sentence punctuation in Spanish goes outside the quote marks, while in American
English the punctuation is on the inside.
·
I want to read
"Romeo and Juliet."
- Quiero
leer "Romeo y Julieta".
Spanish quotation marks are often used in quoted speech, especially in dialogues.
· «¡María, te amo!», exclamó Juan.
· "Maria, I love you!" exclaimed Juan.
