Chinese uses its own punctuation system alongside Latin symbols. You’ll see full-width marks（全形）designed to fit Chinese character spacing, a few half-width (半形) marks from English, and several symbols that are unique to Chinese writing. Below is a practical guide for learners: the Traditional Chinese name, pinyin, what it does, and clear examples you can copy.
Full-Width vs Half-Width (Quick Orientation)
Chinese text is set in square character cells; punctuation is typically full-width, sitting neatly in that grid: ， 。 、 ； ： ？ ！ 「 」 『 』 《 》 （ ） 【 】 〈 〉 —— …… ～
Half-width punctuation from English—like commas and periods—looks skinny in Chinese paragraphs and is best saved for embedded English, code, or technical contexts.
Rule of thumb: in a Chinese sentence, use full-width Chinese punctuation. If you insert English words/numbers, keep their half-width commas, periods, and apostrophes inside that English chunk.
Sentence Enders
| Symbol | Name | Pinyin | Use | Example |
| 。 | 句號 | jùhào | Ends a declarative sentence. | 今天下雨了。jīn tiān xià yǔ le |
| ？ | 問號 | wènhào | Direct question. | 你今天好嗎？nǐ jīn tiān hǎo ma |
| ！ | 驚嘆號 | jīngtànhào | Surprise, emphasis. Use sparingly in formal prose. | 太棒了！tài bàng le |
Mid-Sentence Pauses
| Symbol | Name | Pinyin | Use | Example |
| ， | 逗號 | dòuhào | General pause (like a comma). | 我喜歡咖啡，也喜歡茶。wǒ xǐ huān kā fēi, yě xǐ huān chá |
| 、 | 頓號 | dùnhào | Lists within a sentence (A、B、C). | 我買了蘋果、香蕉、鳳梨。wǒ mǎi le píng guǒ、xiāng jiāo、fèng lí |
| ； | 分號 | fēnhào | Separates related clauses; heavier than 逗號. | 方案一可行；方案二成本較高。 |
| ： | 冒號 | màohào | Introduces explanations, quotes, lists. | 原因如下：時間、預算、風險。 |
Tips
頓號 only lists Chinese items. If the list items are long clauses, use 逗號 or 分號 for clarity.
Quotation & Title Marks
| Symbol | Name | Pinyin | Use | Example |
| 「 」 | 引號（外層） | yǐnhào | Outer quotation marks in Traditional Chinese. | 他說：「明天見。」 |
| 『 』 | 引號（內層） | yǐnhào | Inner quotes inside 「 」. | 「她提到：『請準時。』」 |
| 《 》 | 書名號（外層） | shūmínghào | Titles of books, films, shows, works. | 我最愛《紅樓夢》。 |
| 〈 〉 | 書名號（內層） | shūmínghào | Sub-works, chapters, sections. | 〈林黛玉進府〉 |
Notes
Chinese uses corner-style quotation marks, not “double quotes,” in formal Traditional settings. On phones and casual chats, straight quotes “ ” also appear, but corner marks remain the print standard. For titles, use 《 》; if a chapter inside a book title is needed, nest 〈 〉.
Brackets & Friends
| Symbol | Name | Pinyin | Use | Example |
| （ ） | 括號 | kuòhào | Explanations, asides, glosses. | 台南（我最喜歡的城市） |
| 【 】 | 方頭括號 | fāng tóu kuòhào | Headings, tags, emphasis, editorial notes. | 【公告】明日休館 |
| 〔 〕 | 花括號（方括補位） | huā kuòhào | Less common; academic/typographic. | 參見〔附錄一〕 |
Style tip
In headings, 【 】 adds visual weight. In running text, （ ） reads gentler.
Dashes, Ellipses, Connectors
| Symbol | Name | Pinyin | Use | Example |
| —— | 破折號 | pòzhéhào | Inserted explanation, sudden turn, or emphasis; used in pairs or single long dash. | 結論——我們需要更多數據。 |
| …… | 省略號 | shěnglüèhào | Omission, trailing thoughts. Chinese is six dots (two groups of three). | 嗯……我再想想。 |
| — | 長破折（單） | cháng pòzhé | Sometimes used single for abrupt cut; keep spacing consistent. | 我本來要說—算了。 |
| ～ | 波浪號 | bōlànghào | Range (A～B), soft tone/casual vibe in chat. | 週一～週三；謝謝～ |
Range note
In formal writing, ranges often use 至 (至) instead of ～：週一至週三。
Hyphens & Joiners
| Symbol | Name | Pinyin | Use | Example |
| ‧ / · | 間隔號 | jiàngé hào | Separates syllables in transliterated names. Taiwan常見「‧」。 | 馬丁‧路德‧金 |
| － | 連接號（半角/全形） | liánjiē hào | Hyphen for compounds or line breaks; technical contexts. | B2-B 機位、COVID-19 |
| ／ | 斜線 | xiéxiàn | Alternatives (A／B), fractions, dates (typing). | 是／否；2025/12/02 |
Colons, Bullets, Lists
Chinese lists often follow a label + colon + items on new lines, or use （一）（二）（三）. If you need bullets in documents, keep them consistent; don’t mix • with Chinese numerals in the same level.
Examples
原因如下：
（一）時間
（二）預算
（三）風險
Numerals & Ordering Symbols
| Symbol | Name | Pinyin | Use | Example |
| 一、二、三 | 序號（全形） | xùhào | Section numbering. | 一、背景 二、方法 |
| ① ② ③ | 圈號數字 | quānhào shùzì | List items in print/notes. | ① 先報到 ② 參觀 ③ 會議 |
| （一）（二） | 圈號漢字 | quānhào hànzì | Formal lists in reports. | （一）目的（ニ）範圍 |
Spacing Rules (Chinese + English Mix)
- No spaces between Chinese characters and full-width punctuation: 今天下雨了。
- Maintain English spacing inside English chunks: I love coffee, tea, and bread.
- Put a thin space (or just a normal space) between Chinese and an adjacent English word/number if it aids readability: 今天開會在 Room 203；折扣 20% 起。
- Don’t put a space before full-width marks（，。！？）.
Math & Everyday Symbols In Chinese Text
| Symbol | Name | Pinyin | Use |
| ％ | 百分號 | bǎi fēn hào | Percent with numbers: 20％ |
| ＋／－／×／÷／＝ | 加減乘除等號 | jiā jiǎn chéng chú děng hào | Arithmetic in full-width contexts |
| ￥／NT$ | 貨幣符號 | huò bì fú hào | RMB uses ￥；台灣常寫 NT$ |
| ＃ | 井字號 | jǐng zì hào | Hashtag/number mark（社群） |
| ＠ | 小老鼠 | xiǎo lǎo shǔ | At-mention in email/社群 |
| ※ | 米字號／引注號 | mǐ zì hào | Note/important mark in print |
Currency
Taiwan price tags and articles typically write NT$ 120（或新台幣 120 元）; keep the Latin letters half-width.
Dialogue & Direct Speech
Chinese dialogue uses corner quotes and a colon is optional depending on house style:
她說：「我明天不在台北。」
老師回答：「好的，『報告下週再交』也可以。」
Punctuation stays inside the closing quote if it belongs to the quoted sentence.
Common Pitfalls (And Easy Fixes)
- Mixing half-width English commas/periods with Chinese text → switch to ，。
- Using 頓號 between English items → for pure English lists, use comma; for Chinese lists, use 、
- Overusing ！ and ～ in formal writing → keep them for casual tone; prefer plain 句號。
- Using “ ” instead of 「 」 in Traditional documents → convert to corner quotes if style requires.
- Ellipsis typed as three dots … → Chinese ellipsis is …… (six full-width dots).
Quick Reference Table (Copy-Ready)
| Function | Symbol(s) | Traditional Name | Pinyin |
| End sentence | 。？！ | 句號／問號／驚嘆號 | jùhào / wènhào / jīngtànhào |
| Pause | ，；： | 逗號／分號／冒號 | dòuhào / fēnhào / màohào |
| List items | 、 | 頓號 | dùnhào |
| Quotes | 「 」 『 』 | 引號（外／內） | yǐnhào |
| Titles | 《 》〈 〉 | 書名號（外／內） | shūmínghào |
| Brackets | （ ）【 】〔 〕 | 括號等 | kuòhào |
| Dash | —— | 破折號 | pòzhéhào |
| Ellipsis | …… | 省略號 | shěnglüèhào |
| Range | ～／至 | 波浪號／至 | bōlànghào / zhì |
| Name separator | ‧ / · | 間隔號 | jiàngé hào |
| Slash | ／ | 斜線 | xiéxiàn |
Mini Practice: Fix The Punctuation
Before
- “我喜歡咖啡, 還有tea and bread..”
- 她說: “明天見”!
- 時間: 10am-5pm, 週一-週三…
After
- 「我喜歡咖啡、還有 tea and bread。」
- 她說：「明天見！」
- 時間：10:00～17:00，週一至週三
Pronunciation For Key Terms
標點符號 biāo diǎn fú hào — punctuation
全形／半形 quán xíng / bàn xíng — full-width / half-width
書名號 shū míng hào — title marks 《 》
頓號 dùn hào — list comma 、
破折號 pò zhé hào — em dash ——
省略號 shěng lüè hào — ellipsis ……
Five-Minute Practice Plan
Replace the English commas and periods in one of your Chinese paragraphs with full-width ，。
Rewrite a three-item list using a 頓號 between each item.
Add a short quote with 「 」 and a nested quote using 『 』.
Retype a range with ～ or 至 and fix any stray half-width spaces.
Yak-Style Closing Spark
Chinese punctuation isn’t just decoration—it’s choreography. The 頓號 keeps your lists tidy, 書名號 puts a spotlight on titles, and 破折號 lets your sentence take a dramatic breath. Learn the right symbol for the right beat and your writing will read smooth, confident, and wonderfully Chinese.