puntuación
/puntwaˈθjon/
The English phrase 'punctuation' is translated into Spanish as puntuación.
puntuación refers to the concept of punctuation itself. If you wish to refer to the actual marks used in writing, such as periods or commas, use the phrase signos de puntuación.
Which one should you use?
Use puntuación when talking about the system or concept of punctuation. Use signos de puntuación when talking about the physical punctuation marks themselves.
How does it change in a sentence?
puntuación is a feminine noun, meaning it is used with feminine articles such as la.
How do you pronounce it?
/puntwaˈθjon/
Did you know?
- The Spanish language uses inverted question marks ¿ and exclamation marks ¡ at the start of sentences to alert the reader to the tone of the phrase before they read it.
- The word puntuación shares a common ancestor with the English word 'puncture', both tracing back to the Latin 'pungō', which means 'to prick' or 'to pierce'.
- The word puntuación is also used in Spanish to refer to the score in a sporting event or a game.
Examples in context
- Estoy cansado.I am tired.
- Vivo en Madrid.I live in Madrid.
- ¿Cómo te llamas?What is your name?
- ¿Dónde está el baño?Where is the bathroom?
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños!Happy birthday!
- Compré manzanas, naranjas y plátanos.I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
- Tengo tres citas importantes hoy: el médico, el dentista y una reunión.I have three important appointments today: the doctor, the dentist, and a meeting.
- El profesor me dijo: "Estudia para el examen".The teacher told me: "Study for the exam".
- Me gustan los perros. Sin embargo, soy alérgico.I like dogs, however, I am allergic.
- Viajaré a Madrid (España), no a Madrid (Nuevo México).I will travel to Madrid (Spain), not Madrid (New Mexico).
- No sé… creo que tengo que pensarlo más.I don't know… I think I need to think about it more.
- La puntuación es muy importante en un texto.Punctuation is very important in a text.
- Debes revisar la puntuación de tu ensayo.You must check the punctuation of your essay.
- Ese libro tiene una puntuación muy extraña.That book has very strange punctuation.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are discussing a draft of an article.
- LucíaJavier, revisa bien la puntuación de este párrafo.Javier, check the punctuation of this paragraph carefully.
- JavierTienes razón, me faltan algunas comas.You are right, I am missing some commas.
- LucíaLa puntuación clara ayudará a los lectores.Clear punctuation will help the readers.
- JavierLo arreglaré ahora mismo.I will fix it right now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry puntuación, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries puntuación, CC BY-SA 4.0.
