How do I use Spanish punctuation marks?

Spanish punctuation marks are similar to those used in English, but there are some differences in usage. Here are the main punctuation marks used in Spanish and how they are employed:

1. Accent Marks (Tildes):

   • á, é, í, ó, ú: Used to indicate stress on a particular syllable in a word. For example, "papá" (dad), "césped" (lawn).

2. Inverted Question Mark (¿) and Inverted Exclamation Mark (¡):

   • ¿Qué haces? (What are you doing?)
   • ¡Hola! (Hello!)

3. Period (.) and Comma (,):

   • Used similarly to English, but note that in numbers, a comma is used instead of a period: 1.000 (one thousand) instead of 1,000.

4. Colon (:):

   • Used to introduce a list or an explanation. For example: "Tengo tres pasatiempos: leer, escribir y viajar" (I have three hobbies: reading, writing, and traveling).

5. Semicolon (;):

   • Used to separate independent clauses that are closely related or to separate items in a list when those items already contain commas. For example: "Me gusta la música clásica; mi hermano, en cambio, prefiere el rock" (I like classical music; my brother, on the other hand, prefers rock).

6. Quotation Marks (" " or ' '):

   • Used to indicate direct speech. For example: María dijo, "Voy al cine" (Maria said, "I am going to the movies").

7. Parentheses (()):

   • Used for additional, non-essential information. For example: "El libro (que está en la mesa) es interesante" (The book, which is on the table, is interesting).

8. Hyphen (-) and Dash (—):

   • The hyphen is used to connect words in compound words, and the dash is used for emphasis or to set off a phrase. For example: "bienestar social" (social well-being) vs. "bienestar - eso es lo que todos buscamos" (well-being—that's what we all seek).

Remember that proper punctuation is essential for clear and effective communication in any language, so paying attention to these rules will help you write in Spanish more accurately.