In Chinese, punctuation tells the reader where an idea or a sentence ends. The full stop 。 closes a complete thought, the comma ，separates its parts, and 、 separates items in a list. Getting these right makes a reading answer clearer and a piece of writing easier to follow.
This lesson follows inferring meaning from sentence context and belongs to Characters, words and context.
Which mark closes which unit?
| Mark | Name | Closes or separates |
|---|---|---|
| 。 | full stop | a complete sentence |
| ， | comma | clauses inside a sentence |
| 、 | list comma | items in a list |
| ？ | question mark | a direct question |
| ！ | exclamation mark | strong feeling or a command |
| ： | colon | what follows, such as a quotation or list |
In Simplified Chinese, each mark takes up a full character space and sits at its lower left.
How to find a boundary
- Read the part aloud in your head. Stop where the voice naturally falls.
- Ask whether the thought is complete. Subject, action and meaning all present means 。 can follow.
- Check for linked words. 因为…所以, 虽然…但是 and 如果…就 belong in one sentence, joined by commas.
- Look at lists. Parallel items are separated by 、.
Worked example
This text is invented. It has no punctuation.
我昨天去图书馆借了三本书历史小说和科学杂志因为周末要写报告所以我决定早点开始
Step 1: the first complete thought: 我昨天去图书馆借了三本书. After it, a list follows.
Step 2: the list: 历史、小说和科学杂志. Items are separated by 、, with 和 before the last one.
Step 3: the second thought uses 因为…所以, so it stays in one sentence: 因为周末要写报告，所以我决定早点开始。
Result: 我昨天去图书馆借了三本书：历史、小说和科学杂志。因为周末要写报告，所以我决定早点开始。
The colon after 书 introduces the list.
A mistake that looks reasonable
Many writers copy the English habit of ending a sentence at the first clause:
Wrong: 因为下雨。所以比赛取消了。
The first part has no complete meaning of its own. 因为 asks for 所以 to finish the thought, so the two parts belong in one sentence.
Corrected: 因为下雨，所以比赛取消了。
The correction is to look for linked words. When a word like 因为 or 虽然 opens a part, the part cannot end with 。.
Self-check
Add the right punctuation. These are invented sentences.
1. 她买了笔本子尺子和书包
Show answer
她买了笔、本子、尺子和书包。 The items are separated by 、, and 。 closes the sentence.
2. 你明天去不去
Show answer
你明天去不去？ It is a direct question.
3. 虽然很累。但是他没有放弃。
Show answer
虽然很累，但是他没有放弃。 虽然 and 但是 belong in one sentence, so the first 。 becomes ，.
Where to go next
Next, practise the habit of reviewing words over time in reviewing a word in spaced meaningful examples, then test the whole topic in the mixed practice set. The writing revision compare view helps you see what changed between two versions of a paragraph.
When you want a teacher to look at your punctuation in real paragraphs, our team offers online one-to-one Chinese tuition.