signo de interrogación
/ˌsiɡno de interoɡaˈθjon/masculine
The English phrase "question mark" is translated into Spanish as signo de interrogación. If unsure, use signo de interrogación. Wiktionary also lists signo interrogante and signo interrogativo.
Meaning: punctuation mark (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| signo de interrogación | /ˌsiɡno de interoɡaˈθjon/ /ˌsiɡno de interoɡaˈsjon/ |
masculine |
| signo interrogante | /siɡno interoɡante/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| signo interrogativo | /siɡno interoɡatibo/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| interrogante | /interoˈɡante/ | masculine |
In Spanish, question marks are used in pairs: an inverted question mark ¿ at the beginning and a standard question mark ? at the end of the sentence.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase signo de interrogación literally translates to "sign of interrogation".
Which one should you use?
Signo de interrogación is the most common and standard way to refer to the punctuation mark, whereas signo interrogativo is more technical/adjectival.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun signo de interrogación becomes plural as signos de interrogación.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌsiɡno de interoɡaˈθjon/
Did you know?
- In very informal digital communication like WhatsApp, many native speakers omit the opening ¿ and only use the closing ?, mirroring English style.
- When a sentence is both a question and an exclamation, Spanish allows the marks to be mixed, using ¿ and ! or ¡ and ?
- The noun interrogante is often used figuratively to describe a mystery or an unsolved part of a puzzle, rather than a punctuation mark.
Examples in context
- No sé digitar un signo de interrogación invertido usando este teclado.I don't know how to type an inverted question mark using this keyboard.This sentence is useful for describing how to type a signo de interrogación using a specific keyboard.Tatoeba #4062942 by mervert1, translation #4049732 by mervert1
- Olvidaste poner el signo de interrogación al final.You forgot to put the question mark at the end.
- ¿Dónde está el signo de interrogación en esta frase?Where is the question mark in this sentence?
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are reviewing a written text together.
- Alejandro¿Ves este signo de interrogación?Do you see this question mark?
- SofíaSí, Alejandro, lo veo claramente.Yes, Alejandro, I see it clearly.
- AlejandroFalta un signo de interrogación al principio de la línea.A question mark is missing at the beginning of the line.
- SofíaTienes razón, lo voy a corregir ahora.You are right, I am going to correct it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “question mark” translations and entries signo de interrogación, interrogante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
