The 10 Most Important Special Characters in German

Learning German can be a fun and rewarding experience, especially when you get to know the unique aspects of the language. One interesting part of German writing is the use of special characters. Here are the 10 most important special characters and their names in German:

Recommended study materials on the topic:

• Langenscheidt Go Smart - German Verbs

• A-Grammar: Practice German grammar German (incl. answers)

• German self-study book for A1-B1  (incl. answers)

• German Verb Charts: Learning Regular and Irregular Verbs at a glance

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1. » . « der Punkt (Period)

The period is known as "der Punkt" in German. It marks the end of a sentence. Simple and essential, it’s used exactly like in English.

For example: "Das ist ein Buch." (This is a book.)

2. » ! « das Ausrufezeichen (Exclamation Mark)

In German, the exclamation mark is called "das Ausrufezeichen." Like in English, it's used to show strong emotions and emphasize a statement or quote. 

For example: "Achtung!" (Attention!)

3. » ? « das Fragezeichen (Question Mark)

The question mark is called "das Fragezeichen" in German. It indicates a question. 

For example: "Wie heißt du?" (What is your name?).

4. » , « das Komma (Comma)

The comma, or "das Komma," separates parts of a sentence, such as the main clause and subordinate clause or items in a list. In German, commas are very important for sentence structure. 

For example: "Ich kaufe Äpfel, Bananen und Orangen." (I buy apples, bananas, and oranges.)

"Ich bin müde, weil es spät ist." (I am tired because it is late. )

5. » : « der Doppelpunkt (Colon)

In German, the colon is known as "der Doppelpunkt." It introduces a list, an explanation, or a direct speech. 

For example: "Er sagte: 'Ich komme später.'" (He said, 'I will come later.')

6. » ; « das Semikolon (Semicolon)

The semicolon, or "das Semikolon," links closely related ideas. It’s less common but still important in written German. 

For example: "Ich mag Schokolade; sie ist lecker." (I like chocolate; it is tasty.)

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7. » „...” « die Anführungszeichen (Quotation Marks)

Quotation marks are called "die Anführungszeichen" in German. They are used to indicate direct speech or quotations. German uses different styles like „...” or »...«. 

For example: „Guten Morgen!” (Good morning!)

8. » - « der Bindestrich (Hyphen)

The hyphen, or "der Bindestrich," connects words or parts of words. It must be used in compounds with groups of words, abbreviations, numbers, and symbols and when words are separated at the end of a line, which is quite common in German.

For example: "die E-Mail" (the email).

9. » / « der Schrägstrich (Slash)

The slash is called "der Schrägstrich" in German. This literally means a diagonal line. It’s used to separate options or in fractions. 

For example: "und/oder" (and/or).

10. » ‘ « das Apostroph (Apostrophe)

The apostrophe in German, "das Apostroph," shows possession or omitted letters in contractions. It's less frequent than in English.

For example: "Max’ Buch" (Max’s book).

Conclusion

Understanding these special characters and their names in German can greatly improve your writing and comprehension. Practice using them, and soon they will become second nature in your German language journey.

Also, don't miss out the 10 most important German abbreviations “z.B.”, “ca.”, “bzw.”!

Bis bald!

Steffie

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Hi there, I'm Stefanie, the author of the blog post you're reading.

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