How German Punctuation Marks Differ from English Ones203

German punctuation marks differ from English ones in several ways. Some of the most notable differences include:
Das Komma (,) is used more frequently in German than in English. It is used to separate clauses, phrases, and items in a list. For example:

"Ich habe einen Hund, der sehr groß ist." (I have a dog that is very big.)
"Ich mag Äpfel, Birnen und Bananen." (I like apples, pears, and bananas.)

Das Punktkomma (;) is also used more frequently in German than in English. It is used to separate two independent clauses that are closely related. For example:

"Er ist ein guter Freund; ich kenne ihn schon lange." (He is a good friend; I have known him for a long time.)

Das Doppelpunkt (:) is used to introduce a list, a quotation, or an explanation. For example:

"Ich habe folgende Dinge eingekauft: Brot, Milch und Eier." (I bought the following things: bread, milk, and eggs.)
"Er sagte: "Ich bin müde." (He said: "I am tired.")
"Die Ursache für seinen Tod war: Herzinfarkt." (The cause of his death was: heart attack.)

Das Fragezeichen (?) is used to end a question. In German, the question mark is placed at the end of the sentence, even if the sentence is long. For example:

"Wollen Sie einen Kaffee trinken?" (Would you like to have a coffee?)

Das Ausrufezeichen (!) is used to end an exclamation. In German, the exclamation mark is placed at the end of the sentence, even if the sentence is long. For example:

"Was für ein schöner Tag!" (What a beautiful day!)

Das Anführungszeichen (" ") is used to enclose a quotation. In German, the quotation marks are placed at the beginning and end of the quotation, even if the quotation is only one word. For example:

"Er sagte: "Ich bin müde." (He said: "I am tired.")

Das Gedankenstrich (–) is used to set off a parenthetical expression. In German, the Gedankenstrich is placed before and after the parenthetical expression. For example:

"Er ist ein guter Freund – ich kenne ihn schon lange." (He is a good friend – I have known him for a long time.)

Das Apostroph (') is used to indicate the omission of a letter or letters. In German, the Apostroph is placed before the omitted letter or letters. For example:

"Ich bin 'ne Frau." (I am a woman.)

These are just a few of the most notable differences between German and English punctuation marks. It is important to be aware of these differences when writing in German, as using the wrong punctuation marks can make your writing difficult to understand.