A punctuation mark that appears at the beginning and end of direct speech, a quotation, or a highlighted word or part of a text. In German, the forms „ “ or » « are usually used.
example
Der Titel des Buches steht in Anführungszeichen.
The title of the book is in quotation marks.
Usage tips
Word composition
The word is a compound of the verb 'anführen' (here in the sense of 'to quote') and 'das Zeichen' (the sign/mark). So literally, it is a mark that marks a quoted or cited passage.
EXAMPLE
Direkte Rede wird durch Anführungszeichen gekennzeichnet.
Direct speech is marked with quotation marks.
Typical usage
A very common phrase is 'etwas in Anführungszeichen setzen' (to put something in quotation marks). This describes the act of placing the marks around a word or sentence.
EXAMPLE
Man muss den genauen Wortlaut des Zitats in Anführungszeichen setzen.
You have to put the exact wording of the quote in quotation marks.
German typography
In German, quotation marks appear at the bottom and at the top („…“). In books, you also often find the French form pointing inward (»…«).
EXAMPLE
Der Lehrer erklärte: „Achtet auf die korrekten Anführungszeichen!“
The teacher explained: “Pay attention to the correct quotation marks!”
Spoken language
When someone uses the phrase 'in Anführungszeichen' (in quotation marks) while speaking, it often signals an ironic or distanced attitude. Sometimes this is accompanied by a gesture with the fingers in the air, so-called “air quotes.”
EXAMPLE
Er nannte es eine „Verbesserung“ in Anführungszeichen, aber eigentlich funktioniert jetzt nichts mehr.
He called it an “improvement,” in quotation marks, but actually nothing works anymore.
Compare with
near_synonym · confusable
Anführungszeichen vs sogenannt
so-called
'sogenannt' and 'in Anführungszeichen' can both show that you do not mean a term in a completely normal or completely serious way. 'sogenannt' is a word placed before an expression, for example before a technical term or a questionable label. 'Anführungszeichen' are actually punctuation marks. But the phrase 'in Anführungszeichen' is also used when you distance yourself from a word or mean it ironically. Learners may confuse the two because both can show distance from a term. 'sogenannt' fits directly in the sentence before the name or term; 'in Anführungszeichen' fits when you are talking about the spelling or the ironic meaning.
Anführungszeichen
Finn setzt das Wort „Held“ in Anführungszeichen, weil er es ironisch meint.
Finn puts the word “hero” in quotation marks because he means it ironically.
sogenannt
Der sogenannte Experte konnte keine einfache Frage beantworten.
The so-called expert could not answer a simple question.