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Inverted Question Mark Symbol (¿)
The inverted question mark (¿) opens a question in Spanish — ¿Cómo estás? — so the questioning tone starts at word one.
Inverted Question Mark codes
| Code | Value |
|---|---|
| Unicode code point | U+00BF |
| Unicode name | Inverted Question Mark |
| HTML named entity | ¿ |
| HTML decimal | ¿ |
| HTML hex | ¿ |
| CSS content code | \BF |
| JavaScript / JSON | \u00BF |
| Windows Alt code | No standard Alt code — copy it from the card above |
Inverted Question Mark variants (3)
3 related glyphs — click any tile to copy it. Tiles with a page open that symbol's own page.
Meaning & usage
Spanish is the only major language that opens its questions and exclamations with upside-down marks, a reform the Royal Spanish Academy ordered in 1754. The ¿ tells readers instantly how to voice the sentence, however long it runs. It trips up English keyboards — there is no key — which makes it one of the most-copied punctuation marks among Spanish learners, translators and anyone texting in Spanish from a non-Spanish keyboard.
Examples in use
- ¿Dónde está la estación?
- ¿Qué hora es?
- ¿De verdad? — Really?
How to type the inverted question mark
Windows
There is no Alt code or direct key for ¿. In Microsoft Word, type 00BF and press Alt+X to convert it. Everywhere else, click the Copy button at the top of this page and paste it (Ctrl+V) — that always works.
Mac
There is no Option-key shortcut for ¿ on a Mac. Open the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space, search for "Inverted Question Mark", and double-click to insert — or copy it from this page.
iPhone & Android
Most phone keyboards have no built-in key for ¿. Open this page on your phone, tap Copy, then paste it into your message or bio. (On Android, Gboard's emoji search finds some symbols by name.)
Linux
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 00bf and press Enter (works in most GTK apps and terminals with IBus). Or copy it from this page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type ¿ on a keyboard?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0191 on the numeric keypad — or copy ¿ from this page. On a Mac, press Option+Shift+/. On phones, long-press the ? key.
Do I always need ¿ in Spanish?
In standard written Spanish, yes — opening questions take ¿ and opening exclamations take ¡. Informal chats often skip them, but exams and publishing never do.
Why does ¿ sometimes show as a box or question mark?
The box (called tofu) means the device or font viewing it has no drawing for U+00BF (Inverted Question Mark). The character itself is fine — try a different font or a newer device, or use one of the variants on this page.
Is the Inverted Question Mark free to use?
Yes. ¿ is a standard Unicode text character published in the Unicode Character Database. You may use it in personal and commercial documents, designs and products without permission or payment.
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Data: Unicode Character Database · Page updated 2026-11-13