Coma For Intermediate learners
What is the Comma?
In Spanish, the comma (la coma) (,) is a punctuation mark used to mark a short pause and organize the sentence.
Uses
As in English, the comma is a very useful punctuation mark in Spanish. It is used:
In lists
With direct address
Around non-essential information
After dependent clauses
After prepositional phrases
Before contrastive conjunctions
In decimal numbers
In Lists
A comma separates the items on a list. However, unlike English, the last item on the list is not separated by a comma and only takes a coordinator ("y" or "o"). For examples:
Compré pan, leche, huevos y queso.
I bought bread, milk, eggs, and cheese.
With Direct Address
When a sentence is directly addressed to a specific person, Spanish uses commas between the term of address and the rest of the sentence. For example:
María, ven aquí.
María, come here.
¿Puedes ayudarme, Ana?
Can you help me, Ana?
After Dependent Clauses
When an adverbial dependent clause comes before the main clause, it is separated from the main clause by a comma. This is typically the case with clauses introduced by a subordinating conjunction. Here are some examples:
Si tienes tiempo, llámame.
If you have time, call me.
Cuando llegué, todos estaban dormidos.
When I arrived, everyone was asleep.
Porque estaba enfermo, no fui a clase.
Because I was sick, I didn't go to class.
Around Non-essential Information
Whenever the sentence includes extra, non-essential information, two commas separate that piece of information form the rest of the sentence. This includes non-restrictive relative clauses which add extra information about a noun. Here are some examples:
Laura, mi mejor amiga, viene mañana.
Laura, my best friend, is coming tomorrow.
Mi hermano, que vive en México, habla español muy bien.
My brother, who lives in Mexico, speaks Spanish very well.
After Prepositional Phrases
When a prepositional phrase acting as an adverb comes at the beginning of the sentence, it is separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. For example:
En mi opinión, es una buena idea.
In my opinion, it is a good idea.
Por la mañana, estudio español.
In the morning, I study Spanish.
Before contrastive conjunctions
Spanish usually uses a comma before conjunctions such as pero, aunque, sino, sin embargo, and mientras que when they introduce contrast. For example:
Quería ir, pero no tenía tiempo.
I wanted to go, but I didn't have time.
Es caro, aunque muy útil.
It is expensive, although very useful.
In Decimal Numbers
In Spain and many South American countries, the decimal numbers are separated by a comma. For example:
3,5
12,75 euros
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