Chinese Symbols Full List: Easy Punctuation And Signs Guide For Beginners

Learn the most useful Chinese symbols in 中文符号 Zhōngwén fúhào, from commas and question marks to brackets, title marks, math symbols, and everyday signs people actually use.

Chinese punctuation looks familiar at first, and then it quietly betrays you. The comma is wider, the full stop is a small circle, quotation marks have their own style, and some marks that seem decorative are doing real grammar work.

This guide gives you a practical full list of common Chinese symbols, their names in Chinese, pinyin, English meanings, and real sentences. So yes, you can stop guessing whether that tiny squiggle is a comma, a pause mark, or your keyboard mocking you.

Yak Snark Box

In English, punctuation mostly sits there and behaves. In Chinese, punctuation is part grammar, part rhythm, part typography, and part “surprise, that is not used the same way at all.” Learn the marks early and reading gets much less weird.

The Most Important Chinese Symbols At A Glance

，

逗号 dòuhào — comma

你今天忙吗？先喝茶，
再开会。
Nǐ jīntiān máng ma? Xiān hē chá, zài kāihuì.
Are you busy today? Have tea first, then start the meeting.

。

句号 jùhào — full stop / period

我今天不上班。
Wǒ jīntiān bú shàngbān.
I am not working today.

？

问号 wènhào — question mark

你会说中文吗？
Nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén ma?
Can you speak Chinese?

！

感叹号 gǎntànhào — exclamation mark

太好了！我们到了！
Tài hǎo le! Wǒmen dào le!
Great! We arrived!

、

顿号 dùnhào — list separator

我买了苹果、香蕉、橙子。
Wǒ mǎi le píngguǒ, xiāngjiāo, chéngzi.
I bought apples, bananas, and oranges.

：

冒号 màohào — colon

他说： “我马上来。”
Tā shuō: “Wǒ mǎshàng lái.”
He said: “I’ll be right there.”

“ ”

双引号 shuāng yǐnhào — double quotation marks

老师说： “请坐。”
Lǎoshī shuō: “Qǐng zuò.”
The teacher said, “Please sit.”

《》

书名号 shūmínghào — title marks

我在看《西游记》。
Wǒ zài kàn 《Xīyóujì》.
I am reading Journey to the West.

How Chinese Symbols Work

Use Full-Width Chinese Punctuation

Chinese punctuation is usually full-width, so it takes up more visual space than English punctuation. That is why ， dòuhào looks different from a normal English comma, and 。 jùhào is a small circle instead of a dot.

Use 顿号 Dùnhào For Short Lists

The mark 、 dùnhào separates short items inside a list. Use it for simple nouns or short phrases.

茶、咖啡、牛奶都可以。
Chá, kāfēi, niúnǎi dōu kěyǐ.
Tea, coffee, and milk are all fine.

Use 逗号 Dòuhào For Bigger Pauses

The regular comma ， dòuhào is for pauses, clauses, and longer sentence breaks.

下雨了，我们明天再去。
Xiàyǔ le, wǒmen míngtiān zài qù.
It’s raining, so we’ll go tomorrow instead.

Use 书名号 Shūmínghào For Titles

Chinese often uses 《》 shūmínghào around book names, movie names, newspaper names, and some other titles.

你看过《流浪地球》吗？
Nǐ kàn guò 《Liúlàng Dìqiú》 ma?
Have you seen The Wandering Earth?

Use Chinese Quote Marks, Not Lazy Keyboard Ones

Formal Chinese writing usually uses “ ” shuāng yǐnhào and ‘ ’ dān yǐnhào, not straight English quotes. Your keyboard may resist. Your keyboard is wrong.

Useful Chinese Symbol Phrases With Real Sentences

标点符号 biāodiǎn fúhào — punctuation mark
这篇文章的标点符号很标准。
Zhè piān wénzhāng de biāodiǎn fúhào hěn biāozhǔn.
The punctuation in this article is very standard.
句子结束 jùzi jiéshù — end of a sentence
句子结束要用句号。
Jùzi jiéshù yào yòng jùhào.
You should use a full stop at the end of a sentence.
列出项目 lièchū xiàngmù — list items
列出项目时常用顿号。
Lièchū xiàngmù shí cháng yòng dùnhào.
The list separator is often used when listing items.
表示停顿 biǎoshì tíngdùn — show a pause
逗号可以表示停顿。
Dòuhào kěyǐ biǎoshì tíngdùn.
A comma can show a pause.
提出问题 tíchū wèntí — ask a question
提出问题时用问号。
Tíchū wèntí shí yòng wènhào.
Use a question mark when asking a question.
表示惊讶 biǎoshì jīngyà — show surprise
他说“真的！”，大家都笑了。
Tā shuō “Zhēn de!”, dàjiā dōu xiào le.
He said “Really!” and everyone laughed.
直接引语 zhíjiē yǐnyǔ — direct quotation
直接引语前面常有冒号。
Zhíjiē yǐnyǔ qiánmiàn cháng yǒu màohào.
A colon often comes before direct quotation.
文章标题 wénzhāng biāotí — article title
文章标题可以放在书名号里。
Wénzhāng biāotí kěyǐ fàng zài shūmínghào lǐ.
An article title can be placed inside title marks.
补充说明 bǔchōng shuōmíng — additional explanation
括号里是补充说明。
Kuòhào lǐ shì bǔchōng shuōmíng.
The text in parentheses is additional explanation.
语气延长 yǔqì yáncháng — stretched-out tone
省略号可以表示语气延长……
Shěnglüèhào kěyǐ biǎoshì yǔqì yáncháng…
An ellipsis can show a stretched-out tone…
话题转换 huàtí zhuǎnhuàn — topic shift
破折号有时表示话题转换。
Pòzhéhào yǒushí biǎoshì huàtí zhuǎnhuàn.
An em dash can sometimes show a topic shift.
并列关系 bìngliè guānxì — parallel relationship
“中美关系”里的中间没有顿号。
“Zhōng-Měi guānxì” lǐ de zhōngjiān méiyǒu dùnhào.
There is no list separator inside “China-US relations.”

Full List Of Chinese Symbols

The tables below give you a practical working list of common Chinese punctuation marks, title marks, brackets, connectors, math symbols, and everyday written signs. Each row includes the Chinese name, pinyin, meaning, and a sentence you can actually learn from.

Basic Sentence Punctuation

Symbol	Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
。	句号	jùhào	full stop	今天很冷。	Jīntiān hěn lěng.	It is cold today.
，	逗号	dòuhào	comma	我想去，但是没时间。	Wǒ xiǎng qù, dànshì méi shíjiān.	I want to go, but I don’t have time.
、	顿号	dùnhào	list separator	桌上有书、笔、电脑。	Zhuō shàng yǒu shū, bǐ, diànnǎo.	There are books, pens, and a computer on the table.
？	问号	wènhào	question mark	你明天来吗？	Nǐ míngtiān lái ma?	Are you coming tomorrow?
！	感叹号	gǎntànhào	exclamation mark	太棒了！	Tài bàng le!	That’s awesome!
；	分号	fēnhào	semicolon	他会做饭；我会洗碗。	Tā huì zuòfàn; wǒ huì xǐwǎn.	He can cook; I can wash dishes.
：	冒号	màohào	colon	请带这些东西：护照、手机、钱包。	Qǐng dài zhèxiē dōngxi: hùzhào, shǒujī, qiánbāo.	Please bring these things: your passport, phone, and wallet.
……	省略号	shěnglüèhào	ellipsis	我觉得这个……不太合适。	Wǒ juéde zhège… bú tài héshì.	I think this… is not very suitable.
——	破折号	pòzhéhào	em dash	结果只有一个——失败了。	Jiéguǒ zhǐ yǒu yí gè—shībài le.	There was only one result—failure.
·	间隔号	jiàngéhào	middle dot / separator	他的名字是马丁·李。	Tā de míngzi shì Mǎdīng·Lǐ.	His name is Martin Li.

Quotation And Title Symbols

Symbol	Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
“ ”	双引号	shuāng yǐnhào	double quotes	她说：“没问题。”	Tā shuō: “Méi wèntí.”	She said, “No problem.”
‘ ’	单引号	dān yǐnhào	single quotes	“这个词的意思是‘方便’。”	“Zhège cí de yìsi shì ‘fāngbiàn’.”	“This word means ‘convenient.’”
《》	书名号	shūmínghào	title marks	我最喜欢《红楼梦》。	Wǒ zuì xǐhuan 《Hónglóumèng》.	Dream of the Red Chamber is my favorite.
〈〉	单书名号	dān shūmínghào	single title marks	这一节讨论〈风〉这首诗。	Zhè yì jié tǎolùn 〈Fēng〉 zhè shǒu shī.	This section discusses the poem “Wind.”
「」	直角引号	zhíjiǎo yǐnhào	corner quotes	有些地区写作「你好」。	Yǒuxiē dìqū xiězuò 「Nǐ hǎo」.	Some regions write it as 「hello」.
『』	双直角引号	shuāng zhíjiǎo yǐnhào	nested corner quotes	书里写着「老师说『开始吧』」。	Shū lǐ xiězhe 「Lǎoshī shuō 『Kāishǐ ba』」.	The book says, “The teacher said ‘Let’s begin.’”
《》	篇名标示	piānmíng biāoshì	title marking style	报纸上常见《经济日报》。	Bàozhǐ shàng chángjiàn 《Jīngjì Rìbào》.	You often see Economic Daily in newspapers.
“……”	引语加省略号	yǐnyǔ jiā shěnglüèhào	quoted ellipsis	他只说：“这个嘛……”	Tā zhǐ shuō: “Zhège ma…”	He only said, “Well…”

Brackets And Reference Marks

Symbol	Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
（）	圆括号	yuán kuòhào	parentheses	请明天（星期二）来。	Qǐng míngtiān (Xīngqī’èr) lái.	Please come tomorrow (Tuesday).
〔〕	方头括号	fāngtóu kuòhào	square-headed brackets	词典里常见〔书面〕这个说明。	Cídiǎn lǐ chángjiàn 〔shūmiàn〕 zhège shuōmíng.	You often see the note [written] in dictionaries.
［］	方括号	fāng kuòhào	square brackets	请填写［姓名］和［电话］。	Qǐng tiánxiě [xìngmíng] hé [diànhuà].	Please fill in [name] and [phone number].
【】	方头黑括号	fāngtóu hēi kuòhào	bold square brackets	通知上写着【重要】。	Tōngzhī shàng xiězhe 【Zhòngyào】.	The notice says [Important].
{ }	花括号	huā kuòhào	curly brackets	这个公式里用了花括号。	Zhège gōngshì lǐ yòng le huā kuòhào.	This formula uses curly brackets.
〔〕	注释括号	zhùshì kuòhào	annotation brackets	编辑加了〔原文如此〕。	Biānjí jiā le 〔yuánwén rúcǐ〕.	The editor added [sic].
［1］	序号标记	xùhào biāojì	number marker	请看［1］的解释。	Qǐng kàn [1] de jiěshì.	Please see the explanation in [1].
※	注记号	zhùjìhào	note mark	页面下方有※说明。	Yèmiàn xiàfāng yǒu ※ shuōmíng.	There is a ※ note at the bottom of the page.

Connectors, Slashes, And Listing Marks

Symbol	Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
/	斜线	xiéxiàn	slash	请选择男／女。	Qǐng xuǎnzé nán / nǚ.	Please choose male / female.
\	反斜线	fǎn xiéxiàn	backslash	这个路径里有反斜线。	Zhège lùjìng lǐ yǒu fǎn xiéxiàn.	This path contains a backslash.
\|	竖线	shùxiàn	vertical bar	表格里用竖线分开栏目。	Biǎogé lǐ yòng shùxiàn fēnkāi lánmù.	A vertical bar separates columns in the table.
~	连接号	liánjiēhào	range marker / tilde	办公时间是九点～五点。	Bàngōng shíjiān shì jiǔ diǎn ~ wǔ diǎn.	Office hours are 9 to 5.
–	短横	duǎnhéng	hyphen	这是中英词典，不是英英词典。	Zhè shì Zhōng-Yīng cídiǎn, bú shì Yīng-Yīng cídiǎn.	This is a Chinese-English dictionary, not an English-English one.
•	项目符号	xiàngmù fúhào	bullet point	请用项目符号列重点。	Qǐng yòng xiàngmù fúhào liè zhòngdiǎn.	Please use bullet points to list the key points.
1.	序号	xùhào	numbered item	第一步：先打开文件。	Dì yī bù: xiān dǎkāi wénjiàn.	Step one: open the file first.
①	带圈数字	dàiquān shùzì	circled number	请完成①和②。	Qǐng wánchéng ① hé ②.	Please complete ① and ②.

Math And Comparison Symbols In Chinese Text

Symbol	Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
＋	加号	jiāhào	plus sign	二加三等于五。	Èr jiā sān děngyú wǔ.	Two plus three equals five.
－	减号	jiǎnhào	minus sign	十减四等于六。	Shí jiǎn sì děngyú liù.	Ten minus four equals six.
×	乘号	chénghào	multiplication sign	二乘三等于六。	Èr chéng sān děngyú liù.	Two times three equals six.
÷	除号	chúhào	division sign	八除以二等于四。	Bā chú yǐ èr děngyú sì.	Eight divided by two equals four.
＝	等号	děnghào	equals sign	一加一等于二。	Yī jiā yī děngyú èr.	One plus one equals two.
＞	大于号	dàyúhào	greater-than sign	十大于九。	Shí dàyú jiǔ.	Ten is greater than nine.
＜	小于号	xiǎoyúhào	less-than sign	三小于五。	Sān xiǎoyú wǔ.	Three is less than five.
％	百分号	bǎifēnhào	percent sign	今天打八折，也就是二十百分比的优惠。	Jīntiān dǎ bā zhé, yě jiùshì èrshí bǎifēnbǐ de yōuhuì.	Today it’s 20 percent off.
℃	摄氏度符号	shèshìdù fúhào	degrees Celsius sign	今天是三十摄氏度。	Jīntiān shì sānshí shèshìdù.	Today it is 30 degrees Celsius.
±	正负号	zhèngfùhào	plus-minus sign	误差是五正负一。	Wùchā shì wǔ zhèngfù yī.	The error is 5 plus or minus 1.

Money, Time, And Everyday Signs

Symbol	Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
￥	人民币符号	rénmínbì fúhào	yuan sign	这本书卖￥39。	Zhè běn shū mài yuán sānshíjiǔ.	This book sells for 39 yuan.
¥	元符号	yuán fúhào	yuan / yen sign	午饭花了¥25。	Wǔfàn huā le yuán èrshíwǔ.	Lunch cost 25 yuan.
:	时间冒号	shíjiān màohào	time colon	电影八点三十分开始。	Diànyǐng bā diǎn sānshí fēn kāishǐ.	The movie starts at 8:30.
@	艾特符号	àitè fúhào	at sign	请在群里艾特我。	Qǐng zài qún lǐ àitè wǒ.	Please @ me in the group chat.
#	井号	jǐnghào	hash sign / number sign	请输入六号楼三零二室。	Qǐng shūrù liù hào lóu sān líng èr shì.	Please enter Building No. 6, Room 302.
&	和号	héhào	ampersand	菜单上写着咖啡&甜点。	Càidān shàng xiězhe kāfēi & tiándiǎn.	The menu says Coffee & Desserts.
*	星号	xīnghào	asterisk	带星号的是必填项。	Dài xīnghào de shì bìtián xiàng.	Items with an asterisk are required.
°	度数符号	dùshù fúhào	degree sign	请左转九十度。	Qǐng zuǒzhuǎn jiǔshí dù.	Please turn left 90 degrees.

Arrows, Checks, And Common Interface Symbols

Symbol	Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
→	右箭头	yòu jiàntóu	right arrow	点击这里→继续。	Diǎnjī zhèlǐ → jìxù.	Click here → to continue.
←	左箭头	zuǒ jiàntóu	left arrow	请向左←看。	Qǐng xiàng zuǒ ← kàn.	Please look to the left ←.
↑	上箭头	shàng jiàntóu	up arrow	温度继续上升↑。	Wēndù jìxù shàngshēng ↑.	The temperature keeps going up ↑.
↓	下箭头	xià jiàntóu	down arrow	价格下降↓了。	Jiàgé xiàjiàng ↓ le.	The price went down ↓.
✓	对号	duìhào	check mark	正确答案请打对号。	Zhèngquè dá’àn qǐng dǎ duìhào.	Please mark the correct answer with a check.
✗	错号	cuòhào	cross mark	错的句子要打叉。	Cuò de jùzi yào dǎ chā.	Wrong sentences should get a cross.
+	添加符号	tiānjiā fúhào	add icon	点加号就能新建文件。	Diǎn jiāhào jiù néng xīnjiàn wénjiàn.	Tap the plus sign to create a new file.
…	单省略点	dān shěnglüè diǎn	menu ellipsis icon	点右上角的三个点……	Diǎn yòushàngjiǎo de sān ge diǎn…	Tap the three dots in the top right…

Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes

Mistake: Using English comma , inside Chinese text.
Fix: Use ， dòuhào instead.
正确写法： 我很忙，但是我会来。
Zhèngquè xiěfǎ: Wǒ hěn máng, dànshì wǒ huì lái.
Correct writing: I’m busy, but I will come.
Mistake: Using ， dòuhào to separate simple list items.
Fix: Use 、 dùnhào.
正确写法： 我喜欢茶、咖啡、果汁。
Zhèngquè xiěfǎ: Wǒ xǐhuan chá, kāfēi, guǒzhī.
Correct writing: I like tea, coffee, and juice.
Mistake: Forgetting 《》 shūmínghào for titles.
Fix: Use title marks in formal writing.
正确写法： 我昨天看了《哪吒》。
Zhèngquè xiěfǎ: Wǒ zuótiān kàn le 《Nézhā》.
Correct writing: I watched Nezha yesterday.
Mistake: Overusing exclamation marks because everything feels dramatic in a new language.
Fix: One ！ gǎntànhào is usually enough.
正确写法： 太好了！
Zhèngquè xiěfǎ: Tài hǎo le!
Correct writing: Great!
Mistake: Mixing Chinese and English quotation styles randomly.
Fix: Pick proper Chinese quotation marks in Chinese text.
正确写法： 他说：“我知道了。”
Zhèngquè xiěfǎ: Tā shuō: “Wǒ zhīdào le.”
Correct writing: He said, “I got it.”

Quick Reference Summary

Use	Symbol	Chinese Name	Pinyin
end a sentence	。	句号	jùhào
pause in a sentence	，	逗号	dòuhào
separate short list items	、	顿号	dùnhào
ask a question	？	问号	wènhào
show emotion	！	感叹号	gǎntànhào
introduce a quote or list	：	冒号	màohào
show direct speech	“ ”	双引号	shuāng yǐnhào
mark titles	《》	书名号	shūmínghào
add extra info	（）	圆括号	yuán kuòhào
show omission or trailing tone	……	省略号	shěnglüèhào

Final Yak Box

If you remember only four marks, make them 。 jùhào, ， dòuhào, 、 dùnhào, and 《》 shūmínghào. Those four do a shocking amount of heavy lifting in real Chinese text. Learn them well and you stop reading like every sentence is a mildly confusing treasure map.

FAQ About Chinese Symbols

What Is The Difference Between ， Dòuhào And 、 Dùnhào?

， dòuhào is the regular comma for sentence pauses. 、 dùnhào is mostly for separating short items in a list.

Why Does Chinese Use 。 Instead Of A Dot?

The Chinese full stop is traditionally written as a small circle. It is simply the standard punctuation mark for ending a sentence in Chinese text.

Do I Need To Learn All Chinese Symbols At Once?

No. Start with 。 jùhào, ， dòuhào, 、 dùnhào, ？ wènhào, ！ gǎntànhào, and 《》 shūmínghào. That already covers a lot of everyday reading.

Are Chinese Quote Marks Different From English Ones?

Yes. Standard Chinese writing usually uses “ ” shuāng yǐnhào and ‘ ’ dān yǐnhào rather than straight English quotes.