How to Say "Question Mark" in French

point d'interrogation

/pwɛ̃ d‿ɛ̃.tɛ.ʁɔ.ɡa.sjɔ̃/masculine

The English phrase 'question mark' is translated into French as point d'interrogation.

Meaning: punctuation mark (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase literally translates to 'point of interrogation'.

The noun is masculine, so you use the masculine articles un or le when referring to a question mark.

/pwɛ̃ d‿ɛ̃.tɛ.ʁɔ.ɡa.sjɔ̃/

In French typography, a point d'interrogation is preceded by a non-breaking space. While English speakers place the mark directly against the last letter, French rules require a small gap to separate the punctuation from the text.
In French schools, the word interrogation is commonly used to describe a short, unannounced quiz or test.
The word point is a relative of the English word 'puncture', as both derive from the Latin 'pungere' meaning to prick or pierce.

Le point d'interrogation est un signe de ponctuation.
A question mark is a punctuation mark.
This sentence is useful for defining what a point d'interrogation is.
Tatoeba #5120560 by gege_veggie, translation #8419940 by AlanF_US
Cette phrase doit se terminer par un point d'interrogation.
This sentence requires a question mark at the end.
This sentence illustrates that a sentence must end with a point d'interrogation.
Tatoeba #11934385 by lbdx, translation #3634930 by al_ex_an_der
Il manque un point d'interrogation à la fin de la phrase.
The end of the sentence is missing a question mark.
This sentence shows how to express that a point d'interrogation is missing from the end of a sentence.
Tatoeba #11379235 by lbdx, translation #6192286 by sundown
1 more sentence on Tatoeba

Léa and Gabriel are checking a student's written homework.

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏