* Generally, chevron-style marks are used in books

Beispiel:
Die Prinzessin sagte: «Du garstiger Frosch!»

(or)

Die Prinzessin sagte: »Du garstiger Frosch!«

* In newspapers and other printed material, German quotation marks are used (i.e., the opening quotation mark is below the line rather than above)

Beispiel:
Die Prinzessin sagte: „Du garstiger Frosch!"

* International quotation marks are used in all types of texts

Example: The princess said, "You nasty frog!"

A colon is used to introduce a direct quote.

Beispiel:
Sie sagten: «Das Mädchen ist sehr schön.»

A comma is used to introduce a direct quote.

Example:
They said, "The little girl is very beautiful."

At the end of a quotation, the comma is placed outside the quotation mark.

Beispiel:
"Die sieben Zwerge sind sehr fleißig", sagte Schneewittchen.

At the end of a quotation, the comma is placed inside the quotation mark.

Example:
"The seven dwarves are really hard-working," said Snow White.

* Quotation marks are used for the titles of poems, articles, short stories, songs and TV shows.

Beispiel:
„Hänsel und Gretel" ist ein Grimm-Märchen.

* Quotation marks are also used for the titles of books, novels, films, dramatic works and the names of newspapers or magazines.

Beispiel:
Die Brüder Grimm haben „Kinder- und Hausmärchen" geschrieben.

* Single quotation marks are used for the titles of poems, articles, short stories, songs and TV shows.

Example:
'Hänsel and Gretel' is a Grimm fairy tale.

* The titles of books, novels, films, dramatic works and the names of newspapers or magazines are either italicized or underlined.

Example:
The brothers Grimm wrote Children's and Household Tales.

* Single quotation marks (halbe Anführungszeichen) are used for a quotation within a quotation.

Beispiel:
",Hänsel und Gretel' ist ein Grimm-Märchen", sagte Dornröschen.

* Single quotation marks are used for a quotation within a quotation

Example:
"'Hänsel and Gretel' is a Grimm fairy tale," said Sleeping Beauty.

* Generally, genitive possession is indicated with just an -s at the end of a name or noun.

Beispiel:
Aschenputtels Stiefmutter

* When a name or noun ends with an s sound (i.e., spelled -s, -ss, -ß, -tz, -z, -x, -ce), genitive possession is indicated with just an apostrophe

Beispiel:
des Prinz' Ross

* Genitive possession is indicated with both an apostrophe and an -s

Example:
Cinderella's stepmother

* Example: The prince's steed

* Missing letters in contractions, slang, dialect, idiomatic expressions or poetic phrases are indicated with an apostrophe

Beispiele:
wie geht's? (wie geht es?)
ich hab' (ich habe)

* In some common contractions with definite articles, no apostrophe is used

Beispiele:
ins (in das)
zum (zu dem)

* Missing letters in contractions, slang, dialect, idiomatic expressions or poetic phrases are indicated with an apostrophe

Examples:
how's it going? (how is it ...?)
I've (I have)

* A comma may link two independent clauses without a conjunction; the other options are a semicolon or a period.

Beispiel:
Der Frosch stand vor der Tür, die Prinzessin erschrak.

Generally, a comma is not an option when linking two independent clauses without a conjunction; a semicolon or a period is more appropriate.

Example:
The frog stood before the door: the princess was frightened.

* A comma is never used at the end of a series ending with and/or.

Beispiel:
Die sieben Zwerge sind Brummbär, Chef, Happy, Hatschi, Pimpel, Schlafmütz und Seppl.

* A comma is optional at the end of a series ending with and/or.

Example:
The seven dwarves are Grumpy, Doc, Happy, Sneezy, Bashful, Sleepy(,) and Dopey.

* The reformed spelling rules (Rechtschreibreform) make commas optional in infinitive phrases

Beispiel: Die Prinzessin verliess den Brunnen(,) ohne den Frosch mitzunehmen.

* In prices, a comma separates the tens position from the ones position.

Beispiel:
€9,95

* In large numbers, either a space or a decimal point divides thousands

Beispiel:
1 000 000 or 1.000.000

* In prices, a decimal point separates the tens position from the ones position.

Example:
19.95 euros

* In large numbers, a comma divides thousands

Example:
1,000,000

* A dash or long dash indicates a pause, a delayed continuation or a contrast.

Beispiel:
Auf einmal - ein lautes Weinen!

* A dash or long dash indicates a pause, a delayed continuation or a contrast.

Example:
All of a sudden - a loud sobbing!

* When there are no quotation marks, a dash or long dash indicates a change in speaker.

Beispiel:
- Aschenputtel, komm mal her!
- Ja, ich komme sofort!

* Generally, quotation marks indicate a change in speaker.

Example:
"Cinderella, come here!"
"Yes, I'm coming right away."

* A dash or long dash indicates an even price.

Beispiel:
€10,-

* A double zero or naught indicates an even price.

Example:
10.00 euros