Guillemets (« »)
To type guillemets (angle quotes): « is ⌥\ (Option + backslash) on a Mac or Alt+0171 on Windows; » is ⌥⇧\ on a Mac or Alt+0187 on Windows. Many languages use them for quotation marks.
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left guillemet « | ⌥\ | Alt+0171 | |
| Right guillemet » | ⌥⇧\ | Alt+0187 | |
| « » (copy) | « » | « » |
Guillemets on Mac vs Windows
Guillemets (« ») are angle-shaped quotation marks. On a Mac, press ⌥\ (Option + backslash) for « and ⌥⇧\ (Option + Shift + backslash) for ». On Windows, hold Alt and type 0171 for « or 0187 for » on the numeric keypad, then release. No number pad? Copy the « » above.
Where you use « »
French, Spanish, Russian, Italian and other languages use guillemets as quotation marks: « Bonjour », dit-il. French adds a thin space inside the marks. They also mark nested quotes and, in some styles, dialogue.
FAQ
What are the guillemet shortcuts?
On a Mac press ⌥\ for « and ⌥⇧\ for ». On Windows hold Alt and type 0171 for « or 0187 for » on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.
What are guillemets used for?
They are quotation marks in French, Spanish, Russian and other languages — for example « Bonjour ». English normally uses straight or curly quotes instead.