Appendix:Greek punctuation

See also: Appendix:Greek script and Appendix:Greek number and measurement

Punctuation marks

Άνω και κάτω τελεία (  :  ) colon

1. The colon is used in reporting direct speech, described in greater detail below:

   Ο Μπόξερ είπε: «Είναι νεκρός». ("Boxer said, "He is dead.")

2. And to introduce a list:

   τα ψάρια: μουρούνα, γαύρος, ρέγγες, κολιός … ("the fish: cod, anchovy, herring, mackerel …")

Synonyms: άνω κάτω τελεία (áno káto teleía), δύο τελείες (dýo teleíes), διπλή τελεία (diplí teleía)

Standard keyboard colon or  alt + 5  8 ,   Unicode (Basic Latin) U+003A,   HTML :

Άνω τελεία (raised point)

·   raised point   (Unicode (Greek) U+0387), equivalent to semi colon ;

1. Separates groups of clauses in a sentence.
2. Separates two parts of a sentence where a κόμμα is thought to be inadequate.
3. To represent it in html use · — in Wiktionary and elsewhere U+0387 is automatically converted to the MIDDLE DOT (U+00B7).

Αποσιωπητικά (ellipsis)

…   ellipsis   (Unicode (Basic Latin) U+2026   keyboard input Alt+0133)

1. Indicates an incomplete sentence or, in direct speech, unsaid words.

Απόστροφος (apostrophe)

'   apostrophe   (Unicode (Basic Latin) U+0027   keyboard input Alt+0039)

1. It takes the place of a vowel which is omitted in pronunciation.
2. and see ενωτικό (enotikó)

Εισαγωγικά (quotation marks)

« »   guillemets or quotation marks   (Unicode (Basic Latin) U+00AB / U+00BB   keyboard input Alt+0171 / Alt+0187)

1. Used to punctuate direct speech (qv).

Ενωτικό (hyphen)

-   hyphen   (Unicode (Basic Latin) U+002D)

1. Used to mark the break in a word at the end of a line.
2. and see απόστροφος (apóstrofos)

Ερωτηματικό (  ;  ) question mark

1. Used at the end of interrogative sentences, in the same manner as the English question mark [?].

   «Γιατί, τότε», ρώτησε κάποιος, «τον είχε πολεμήσει με όλα τα μέσα;»

   ("'Why then', someone asked, 'had he spoken so strongly against it?'")

Standard keyboard English semicolon character (or Alt+0059),   Unicode (Greek) U+037E, (Basic Latin) U+003B

Θαυμαστικό (exclamation mark)

!   exclamation mark   (keyboard input Alt+0033)

1. Used at the end of an exclamatory sentence and after interjections.

Κόμμα (comma)

,   comma   (Unicode (Basic Latin) U+002C   keyboard input Alt+0044)   (see also: υποδιαστολή)

1. Used like the English comma to separate clauses, items in lists, etc.

   μουρούνα, γαύρος, ρέγγες, κολιός …   (cod, anchovy, herring, mackerel …)

2. Used instead of the (English) decimal point in numbers.

   2,95€   (€2.95)

3. It is typographically identical to the υποδιαστολή, which is used to differentiate a few homophones:

   see: ό,τι  and   ότι

Παρένθεση, παρενθέσεις (parentheses)

( )   parenthesis

1. Used to isolate an aside, comment or explanation from surrounding text.

Παύλα (dash)

— ―   dash, horizontal bar   (Unicode (Basic Latin) U+2014, U+2015)

1. Used in pairs to isolate text.
2. Used to indicate a break in a sentence.

Τελεία (stop)

.   full stop, period   (Unicode (Basic Latin) U+002E   keyboard input Alt+0046)   (see also: άνω τελεία)

1. Used like the English full stop or period to end sentences and indicate abbreviations.

   Τις Κυριακές δε δούλευε κανένας.   (On Sundays, no one worked.)

2. Used instead of the (English) comma in large numbers.

   το κόστος του σπιτιού ήταν £260.950,00   (the cost of the house was £260,950.00)

Direct speech

There are two main conventions; the choice depends upon the writer or publisher.

εισαγωγικά   « »   (guillemets)

Examples

From "Animal Farm" by George Orwell ("η Φάρμα των ζώων" trans. Αγγελική Πετρή)

«Αυτό είναι διαφορετικό», είπε ο Μπόξερ. «Αφού το λέει ο σύντροφος Ναπολέοντας, έτσι πρέπει να 'ναι».

«Έτσι σε θέλω, σύντροφε!», φώναξε ο Σκουίλερ.

"Ah, that is different!" said Boxer. "If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right."

"That is the true spirit, comrade!" cried Squealer.

From "Ο ψεύτης παππούς" by Άλκη Ζέη

Έλεγε: «Αύριο στις πέντε με πέντε και πέντε», …

He said "Tomorrow, between five and five past five", …

«Μιλάει σοβαρά;» ρώτησε την Μαρία. «Ναι, σίγουρα», αποκρίθηκε.

"Is he serious?" he asked Maria. "Yes, certainly" she replied.

Usage notes

1. Used especially when quoting direct speech in the middle of a paragraph.
2. Occasionally phrases such as he asked Maria may be written inside the quotation marks.
3. When speech continues into a new paragraph, as in English, the closing mark of the previous paragraph is omitted.
4. The closing full stop is placed after the final quotation mark, but exclamation and question marks are placed before.

παύλα   —   (em dash)

Direct speech at the beginning of a paragraph may be introduced with a dash, and no speech marks:

— Αύριο, έλεγε, στις πέντε με πέντε και πέντε, …

"Tomorrow," he said "between five and five past five", …

— Μιλάει σοβαρά; ρώτησε την Μαρία.

— Ναι, σίγουρα, αποκρίθηκε.

"Is he serious?" he asked Maria. "Yes, certainly", she replied.

Greek keyboard

• The keyboard for Standard Modern Greek.
• The diacritics are produced using the keys shown in red, followed by the appropriate vowel.
• The blue characters are produced on some keyboards by using the AltGr key.