Quotation marks in German (Anführungszeichen) follow a unique typographic style:
👉 They open low and close high:
„…“
This is different from English (“…”), French (« … »), or Swiss German (“…”).
Using the correct style is essential for:
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dialogue in stories
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formal writing and essays
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exam tasks (Goethe, telc, TestDaF)
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academic citations
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professional communication
This guide explains exactly how to use low–high German quotation marks and when alternatives like single quotes or Guillemets apply.
2. The Standard German Quotation Marks: „…“
The official Duden-approved style:
Opening quote: „ (low)
Closing quote: “ (high)**
Example:
Er sagte: „Guten Tag.“
Why “low–high”?
The German typesetting tradition places:
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opening quotes below the baseline
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closing quotes above the baseline
This visually frames the quoted text in a balanced way.
3. When to Use Quotation Marks in German
3.1 Direct speech (Direkte Rede)
Used to show spoken words.
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Sie fragt: „Wie geht es dir?“
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„Ich komme später“, sagte er.
3.2 Quotations in texts (wörtliche Rede)
For citing someone else’s exact words.
- Der Artikel beginnt mit „Deutschland wächst wirtschaftlich“.
3.3 Titles of shorter works
Used for:
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poems
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short stories
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songs
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articles
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chapters
Example:
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Wir lesen „Die Verwandlung“.
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Ich höre „Atemlos“.
3.4 Irony or unusual usage
German often marks ironic, figurative, or questionable terms in quotes.
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Die „Experten“ kamen zu spät.
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Er isst eine „gesunde“ Pizza.
3.5 Words as words (metalinguistic use)
When talking about the word itself:
- Das Wort „Haus“ hat vier Buchstaben.
4. Quotation Marks Inside Quotation Marks (Nested Quotes)
German uses single low–high quotes inside double quotes:
Outer: „…“
Inner: ‚…‘
Example:
„Er sagte: ‚Ich bin gleich da.‘“
The pattern:
„ … ‚ … ‘ … “
5. Alternatives to German Low–High Quotes
German typography allows two alternative systems depending on region or style.
5.1 English Style (“…”)
Common in:
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Switzerland
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digital interfaces
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informal writing
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international publications
Example:
“Guten Tag”
5.2 Guillemets / French Quotes (« … »)
Used in Switzerland and in some design-forward contexts.
Two German variants:
a) Outward-facing (Swiss style):
«Guten Tag»
b) Inward-facing (German publishing style):
»Guten Tag«
6. Punctuation Placement: Inside or Outside the Quotes?
German punctuation rules differ from English.
6.1 Periods and commas usually go inside if part of the spoken text
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Er sagt: „Ich komme später.“
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„Danke“, sagte sie.
6.2 If the punctuation belongs to the surrounding sentence, it goes outside
- Wie klingt „Guten Tag“ auf Spanisch?
6.3 Question mark and exclamation mark stay with the phrase they belong to
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„Was machst du?“ fragte er.
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Sie sagte „Stopp!“ und blieb stehen.
7. Quotation Marks in Dialogue (Creative Writing)
German formatting for dialogue typically uses:
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quotes around spoken text
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dialogue tags outside
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comma before the closing quote if followed by a tag
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lowercase beginning of the tag (unless it’s a pronoun or name)
Examples:
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„Ich weiß es nicht“, sagte Anna.
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„Komm mit!“, rief er.
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Anna fragte: „Willst du etwas trinken?“
8. Special Case: Quotes with Titles, Terms, and Foreign Words
8.1 German uses quotes for short works
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„Der Erlkönig“
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„Die Zeit“ (newspaper article)
8.2 Foreign words inside German quotes keep original capitalization
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das Konzept „Deep Learning“
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die Idee „Smart Home“
8.3 Technical terms often appear in quotes on first use
- Das sogenannte „Cold Start Problem“.
9. Avoiding “Scare Quotes” (Overuse)
German writers often avoid excessive ironic quotes because they can seem passive-aggressive or ambiguous.
Bad style:
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Er ist ein „guter“ Mitarbeiter.
Better: -
Er gilt als guter Mitarbeiter — ironisch gemeint.
10. Common Errors Learners Make
❌ Using English quotes instead of German quotes
Correct: „Hallo“, not “Hallo”
❌ Forgetting the low opening quote
Correct: „ not “
❌ Not closing nested quotations correctly
Correct: „… ‚…‘ …“
❌ Punctuation outside when it belongs inside
Incorrect: „Ich komme später“.
Correct: „Ich komme später.“
❌ Mixing German and English quoting conventions in one text
Be consistent in your style!
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11. Quick Reference Guide
| Function | German Style | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Direct speech | „…“ | „Guten Tag!“ |
| Quote inside a quote | ‚…‘ | „Er sagte: ‚Komm her!‘“ |
| Short titles | „…“ | „Der Erlkönig“ |
| Irony | „…“ | die „Experten“ |
| Word as a word | „…“ | Das Wort „Haus“ |
| Swiss alternative | «…» | «Hallo» |
| English alternative | “…” | “Hallo” |
12. Practice Section
Exercise 1: Insert correct German quotes
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Er sagt: Guten Morgen.
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Sie fragte Was machst du?.
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Das Wort Zuhause schreibt man zusammen.
Solutions:
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Er sagt: „Guten Morgen“.
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Sie fragte: „Was machst du?“
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Das Wort „Zuhause“ schreibt man zusammen.
Exercise 2: Fix nested quotes
- „Er sagte: „Ich komme gleich.““
✔ Correct:
„Er sagte: ‚Ich komme gleich.‘“
