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The upside down exclamation point, also called the inverted exclamation mark, is used at the beginning of exclamatory sentences in Spanish. You can copy it from this page or learn how to type it using your device’s keyboard.
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What Is the Upside Down Exclamation Point?
The symbol ¡ is an inverted version of the regular exclamation mark (!). Its official Unicode name is INVERTED EXCLAMATION MARK, and its code point is U+00A1.
In Spanish, the inverted mark appears at the beginning of an exclamation. A regular exclamation mark closes the phrase.
For example:
- ¡Hola! — Hello!
- ¡Qué sorpresa! — What a surprise!
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños!—Happy birthday!
- ¡Cuidado! — Watch out!
The opening mark helps readers recognise the tone of the sentence before they reach the end.
How to Type the Upside Down Exclamation Point
You can insert ¡ with a keyboard shortcut, a Spanish keyboard layout, or by copying the symbol from this page.
On Windows
If your keyboard and numeric keypad support Alt codes, hold the Alt key and type 0161 on the numeric keypad. Release Alt to enter ¡.
If this method does not work on your device, use the Windows Character Map or copy the symbol from this page.
On Mac
Press Option + 1 to type the inverted exclamation mark on the standard Mac keyboard layout.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the keyboard and press and hold the regular exclamation mark (!). If the inverted symbol appears in the options, select ¡. You can also switch to a Spanish keyboard.
On Android
Open your keyboard and press and hold ! to check for additional punctuation options. The available characters depend on your keyboard app and language settings. You can also add a Spanish keyboard or copy the symbol directly.
In Microsoft Word
You can insert the character through the symbol menu. Alternatively, type 00A1 and press Alt + X in Word to convert the Unicode code point into ¡.
Shortcodes:
| Format | Correct code |
|---|---|
| Symbol | ¡ |
| Unicode | U+00A1 |
| Windows Alt code | Alt + 0161 (numeric keypad; depends on setup) |
| Mac shortcut | Option + 1 (standard layout) |
| HTML decimal | ¡ |
| HTML hexadecimal | ¡ |
| HTML named entity | ¡ |
| CSS escape | \00A1 |
How to use Spanish exclamation marks?
Spanish exclamation marks are used to enclose exclamatory statements with both an opening inverted exclamation mark (¡) and a closing regular exclamation mark (!). Here’s how to use them properly:
- Basic usage: Place the inverted exclamation mark (¡) at the beginning of the exclamatory phrase and the regular exclamation mark (!) at the end. Example: ¡Hola! (Hello!)
- Placement rules:
- The opening inverted mark goes at the beginning of the exclamation, not necessarily at the beginning of the sentence
- Both marks are required in Spanish exclamations
- Examples:
- ¡Qué bonito día! (What a beautiful day!)
- Ella dijo ¡cuidado con el perro! (She said, watch out for the dog!)
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños! (Happy birthday!)
- Spacing: No space is left between the exclamation marks and the text they enclose
- When combined with questions, Spanish uses both question marks and exclamation marks:
- ¿¡Qué has hecho!? or ¡¿Qué has hecho?! (What have you done?!)
Spanish exclamation marks help readers identify exclamatory phrases immediately and add clarity to written Spanish.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is called the inverted exclamation mark or inverted exclamation point. Its symbol is ¡.
No. The inverted mark ¡ opens an exclamatory phrase in Spanish, while the regular mark! closes it.
The inverted exclamation mark (¡) has the Unicode code point U+00A1. You can display it in HTML using the decimal entity ¡, the hexadecimal entity ¡, or the named entity ¡.