quotation mark

[kwoʊˈteɪʃən mɑrk]
nounpl: quotation marks
aspas
1. A punctuation mark used to indicate the beginning and end of a quoted passage, word, or phrase
She said, "I will be there tomorrow."
Ela disse: "Estarei lá amanhã."
2. Either of a pair of marks (") used to set off direct speech or a quoted passage
The word "beautiful" is an adjective.
A palavra "bonita" é um adjetivo.
3. Used to indicate irony or skepticism about a word or phrase
He is a so-called "expert" in the field.
Ele é um chamado "especialista" na área.
In American English, the standard quotation marks are double quotation marks ("), while British English and Portuguese often use single quotation marks ('') or guillemets (« ») especially in more formal European Portuguese. In Brazilian Portuguese, double quotation marks are increasingly common in digital communication, though traditional publishing may prefer other formats.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
quote markinverted commaspeech mark

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
aspas
Most common term used in formal writing and journalism
Rio de Janeiro
aspas
Standard usage, sometimes informally called 'aspinhas' in casual speech
São Paulo
aspas
Standard usage in formal and informal contexts
Portugal
aspas or aspas duplas
Portuguese preference may also use 'entre aspas' (between quotes) or guillemets (« ») in some contexts

Related Words

apostrophepunctuationquotationparenthesescommacolon

Related Idioms & Phrases

between quotation marks - entre aspas
in quotation marks - entre aspas
put something in quotation marks - colocar algo entre aspas
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