句読点

• Reading: くとうてん
• Romaji: kutouten
• Kanji breakdown: 句 (ku) — sentence, phrase; 読 (tou/doku) — read; 点 (ten) — dot, point, mark
• Pronunciation: /kɯ.toː.teɴ/

Meaning

Punctuation marks. The collective term for periods (。) and commas (、) in Japanese writing.

A noun referring specifically to the two core punctuation marks in Japanese: 句点 (kuten, period 。) and 読点 (touten, comma 、). While broader punctuation exists, 句読点 specifically means these two. Proper use of 句読点 is emphasized in Japanese writing education, and their placement can affect readability and meaning. Common in discussions about writing style and composition.

Examples

1. 句読点の使い方で文章の印象が変わる。 How you use punctuation marks changes the impression a sentence makes.
2. 小学生のうちに句読点を正しく打てるようにする。 The goal is for elementary school students to be able to use punctuation correctly.
3. メールでは句読点を省略する若者が増えている。 More and more young people are leaving out punctuation in emails.

Usage Guide

Context: writing, education, grammar study

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 句 (ku, sentence/phrase) + 読 (tou/doku, read) + 点 (ten, dot/point). 句点 is the 'sentence dot' (period) and 読点 is the 'reading dot' (comma) — together they form 句読点.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated