読点

• Reading: とうてん
• Romaji: touten
• Kanji breakdown: 読 (tou/doku) — read; 点 (ten) — point, dot, mark
• Pronunciation: /toː.teɴ/

Meaning

Comma; the Japanese punctuation mark (、) used to separate clauses and phrases in a sentence.

A noun referring specifically to the Japanese comma (、), as distinct from the period (句点, kuten). Understanding 読点 is essential for written Japanese, as comma placement affects meaning and readability. In horizontal writing, the standard comma 、 is used, while in formal or academic contexts, placement rules are sometimes debated.

Examples

1. この文章は読点が多すぎて読みにくい。 This text has too many commas and is hard to read.
2. 読点の打ち方ひとつで、文の意味が変わることがある。 A single comma placement can change the meaning of a sentence.
3. 先生に読点の使い方を注意された。 My teacher pointed out issues with how I was using commas.

Usage Guide

Context: writing, education, publishing

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 読 (tou, read) + 点 (ten, point/dot). Literally 'reading point' — a mark that guides the reader through the text.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal