Upside-Down Question Mark (¿)
To type an upside-down (inverted) question mark (¿): press ⌥⇧? (Option + Shift + ?) on a Mac, or hold Alt and type 0191 on the numeric keypad on Windows. Spanish opens questions with it: ¿Cómo estás?
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inverted question ¿ | ⌥⇧? | Alt+0191 | |
| ¿ (copy) | ¿ | ¿ | |
| Inverted exclamation ¡ | ⌥1 | Alt+0161 |
The inverted question mark on Mac vs Windows
The upside-down question mark (¿) opens a question in Spanish. On a Mac press ⌥⇧? (Option + Shift + the ? key). On Windows, hold Alt and type 0191 on the numeric keypad (NumLock on), then release. No number pad? Copy the ¿ above, or use the Windows emoji panel Win+..
Where you use ¿
Spanish (and Galician) put an inverted question mark at the start of a question and a normal one at the end: ¿Cómo estás? ¿Qué hora es? The same rule applies to exclamations with ¡ … !.
FAQ
What is the upside-down question mark shortcut?
On a Mac press ⌥⇧? (Option + Shift + ?). On Windows hold Alt and type 0191 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.
Why does Spanish use an upside-down question mark?
It signals a question is coming so readers know the tone from the start. Spanish opens with ¿ and closes with the normal ? — for example ¿Cómo estás?