How to say "punctuation" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 区切りくぎりnounA common word: its basic sense is a pause or break in speech or writing — where to divide an utterance or a text; as 'punctuation' it suggests the dividing itself, not the marks.
- nounA direct borrowing of the English word, matching 'punctuation' as such; it is less common, and you will mostly meet it where the English term itself is being referred to.
- 句読くとうnounA less common abbreviation of the fuller term; on its own it is seldom the word you want for 'punctuation', and learners can normally pass it by.
Use 「区切り」 for a pause or break in speech or text; 「パンクチュエーション」 is the direct loanword for punctuation as such; 句読 is a less common abbreviation, seldom needed on its own.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 区切りくぎりpause (in speech, writing, etc.)
- パンクチュエーションpunctuation
- 句読くとうpunctuation
