The the other way up query mark, ¿ could catch you off-guard once you begin studying Spanish.
Why does it seem at first of sentences? And the way come it has this ‘inverted’ form? Also referred to as the inverted query mark, the the other way up query mark just isn’t all that mysterious. It’s been part of the Spanish language for hundreds of years, and it serves one easy objective: letting readers know that the upcoming sentence is a query.
Whereas it might look like a trivial element, the other way up query marks are necessary to make use of in written Spanish. Be taught why learn how to use them and learn how to kind them in your pc, and take your written Spanish to the subsequent stage!.
What Is the Upside Down Query Mark?
Let’s begin with the fundamentals. The the other way up query mark, ¿, is the flipped model of the common query mark, “?.” In contrast to the common query mark we’re used to, ¿ seems initially of interrogative sentences or clauses in Spanish. You possibly can consider the pair as two bookends enclosing a query.
In different phrases, in English, we solely use “?” on the finish of the sentence. Spanish makes use of each ¿ and “?.” Check out this widespread query, “how previous are you,” in English and Spanish:
- *English: “How previous are you?”
- *Spanish: ¿Cuántos años tienes?
Keep in mind: in Spanish, the ¿ goes proper earlier than the interrogative clause, the a part of the sentence indicating the query. Listed below are some examples:
- Tú lo viste, ¿verdad? “You noticed it, proper?” (¿ comes earlier than verdad, (“proper”) as that is the query clause.)
- Mañana hay clase, ¿pero igual vas a ir a la fiesta? “There’s faculty tomorrow, however are you continue to going to the celebration?” (¿ comes earlier than pero igual vas a ir a la fiesta (“however are you continue to going to the celebration”), as that is the query clause.)
Spanish isn’t the one language that makes use of the the other way up query mark. Though much less widespread, Galician, Asturian, and Waray even have this function. So if you happen to’re trying to study any of those languages sooner or later, you’ll need to befriend the ¿ as nicely.
Why Does Spanish Use the Upside Down Query Mark?
The Actual Academia Española, (“Royal Spanish Academy”) really useful utilizing inverted query marks in the 18th century. Apart from the the other way up query mark, the Academy additionally really useful inverted exclamation factors, ¡. Each the inverted query mark and the exclamation mark let readers know what kind of sentence they’re studying upfront. Along with this, they assist stop ambiguity. With out the inverted and the common query mark, it’s troublesome to see which sentence is a query and which one just isn’t in Spanish.
At the moment, utilizing ¿ and “?,” in addition to ¡ and “!” are commonplace in Spanish-speaking nations, though they’ve totally different expressions. Regardless of if you happen to’re saying ¡qué lata! (“how boring!”) in Chile or ¿qué bolero? (“what’s up?”) in Cuba, you’ll use two punctuations: one at first and one on the finish.
How and When to Use the Upside Down Query Mark?
The the other way up query mark all the time goes on the very starting of a query or interrogative clause. Needless to say there is perhaps a couple of clause in the identical sentence, however there will probably be just one that’s truly the query clause.
Here’s a sentence with just one clause:
- ¿Vas a comprar un coche nuevo? “Are you going to purchase a brand new automotive?”
And right here is one with three clauses, with the query clause within the center:
- Jimena me preguntó ¿qué haría yo en esa situación? y no supe qué decir. “Jimena requested me,” What would I do in that state of affairs?” and I didn’t know what to say.”
Observe that oblique questions which are reported or embedded inside statements don’t take the the other way up mark:
- Julia me preguntó si yo quería ir al cine. “Julia requested me if I wished to go to the films.”
- Me pregunto dónde está. “I’m questioning the place he/she/it’s.”
Spanish could generally have lengthy sentences. If the ¿ offers readability for the reader, be at liberty to make use of it even in reported questions:
- Quiero saber ¿cuánto tiempo pasará hasta que pueda ver los resultados del examen? porque necesito hacer planes. “I need to know the way lengthy it is going to be till I can see the examination outcomes? As a result of I must make plans.”
¿ just isn’t a standalone image. It must be paired with a closing “?” on the finish of the query or sentence. Each are utilized in any query clause, even when there are a number of throughout the speech. Right here is an instance:
¿Quieres ir al banco? ¿O prefieres que vaya yo? “Do you need to go to the financial institution? Or do you favor that I am going?”
The right way to Kind the Upside Down Query Mark on Your Keyboard?
Copy-pasting ¿ may look like a straightforward choice at first, however once you advance in Spanish, you’ll must kind ¿ extra usually. Fortunately, it’s simple to learn to kind it in your pc or telephone.
Typing the Upside Down Query Mark on Home windows
Shortcut: Maintain Alt and kind 0191 on the numpad. Needless to say this requires Num Lock to be on.
Character Map: Open Begin > seek for Character Map. Discover the ¿ image and choose Copy.
Typing the Upside Down Query Mark on Mac
Shortcut: Maintain Possibility and press ?
Typing the Upside Down Query Mark on Chromebook
Worldwide keyboard: Maintain the precise Alt key (subsequent to the area bar) and press ? or /
Shortcuts menu: Open with Ctrl+Alt+/ and choose ¿ beneath Math Symbols.
Typing the Upside Down Query Mark on iPhone and iPad
Maintain down the ? key on the digital keyboard to open a pop-up menu with ¿. Slide your finger to it and launch.
Typing the Upside Down Query Mark on Android
Lengthy press the ? key to open a menu with ¿. Slide your finger and launch to pick it.
Change to the Spanish keyboard and entry ¿ straight.
Instance Makes use of the Upside Down Query Mark
In Spanish, intonations outline whether or not a sentence is a query or not. Once you’re studying Spanish out loud, the the other way up query mark will aid you resolve how you must learn the sentences.
Let’s illustrate this with an instance — vas a venir conmigo means “you’ll include me.” There’s no the other way up query mark in sight, so it is a regular sentence, not a query. After we add query marks, ¿vas a venir conmigo?, the which means of the sentence adjustments to “will you include me?”
Listed below are some examples, with audio recordings to information you on Spanish intonations.
| English | Spanish | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| “Will you include me?” | ¿Vas a venir conmigo? | |
| “You’ll include me.” | Vas a venir conmigo | |
| “Are you able to assist me?” | ¿Puedes ayudarme? | |
| “You possibly can assist me.” | Puedes ayudarme. | |
| “Are you prepared to depart?” | ¿Estás listo para salir? | |
| “You’re prepared to depart.” | Estás listo para salir. | |
| “Does she eat pasta?” | ¿Ella come pasta? | |
| “She eats pasta.” | Ella come pasta. | |
| “Does he need to come?” | ¿Él quiere venir? | |
| “He desires to come back.” | Él quiere venir. |
Different Sentences with the Upside Down Query Mark
Regardless of how easy or troublesome, Spanish questions all have the other way up query marks. You will note it in widespread questions like *¿qué hora es? (“what time is it?”), in addition to extra complicated questions, resembling ¿¡qué has hecho!? (“what have you ever executed?!”). The latter additionally makes use of an exclamation mark to specific shock.
There’s just one catch — even when there’s a couple of clause within the sentence, solely the query clause will get the ¿ and “?” Let’s check out some instance sentences:
| English | Spanish | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| “What do you need to eat?” | ¿Qué quieres comer? | |
| “Are you able to inform me learn how to get to the put up workplace?” | ¿Puedes decirme cómo llegar al correo? | |
| “Do you want espresso?” | ¿Te gusta el café? | |
| “Are you loopy?” | ¿¡Estás loco!? | |
| “Is all this for me?!” | ¿¡Todo esto es para mí!? | |
| “Once you get dwelling, are you able to name me?” | Cuando llegues a casa, ¿puedes llamarme? | |
| “Should you go to the grocery store, may you purchase milk?” | Si vas al supermercado, ¿podrías comprar leche? | |
| “Paula, did you get my message?” | Paula, ¿recibiste mi mensaje? |
¿What Do You Suppose In regards to the Upside Down Query Mark?
At first look, the the other way up query mark could look like a random punctuation, however over time, you’ll get used to it. You’ll see it in all places, even in widespread Spanish phrases like “how are you” (¿cómo estás?) or “the place are you from” (¿de dónde eres?). The identical goes for different languages that use the the other way up query mark — it’s all a matter of observe!
