# Open brackets / Close brackets



## 810senior

I have by accident come up with a tiny and trivial question... 

(1) Would you have something like "open/close brackets" in your language, when you read through a quotation surrounded by brackets, braces, parenthesis etc?

(2) If yes, what is that called in your language?
For instance, in Japanese, "open brackets" accords with "括弧開きkakko hiraki, lit. brackets-opening" and "close brackets" with "括弧閉じkakko toji, lit. brackets-closing".

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Thanks in advance!


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## apmoy70

Greek:

*«Ανοίγουν (τα) εισαγωγικά»* [aˈniɣun (ta) isaɣoʝiˈka] (the neuter pl. defininite article «τα» [ta] is often omitted in colloquial speech) --> _open (the) quotations_
*«Κλείνουν (τα) εισαγωγικά»* [ˈklinun (ta) isaɣoʝiˈka] --> _close (the) quotations_.

-MoGr v. 3rd p. pl. present tense, active voice indicative *«ανοίγουν»* [aˈniɣun] --> _(they) open_, of v. *«ανοίγω»* [aˈniɣo] --> _to open, unfold, disclose_ < Classical v. *«ἀνοίγνυμῐ» ănoígnumĭ* --> _to open, unfold, disclose_ < compound; Classical prefix and preposition *«ἀνά» ănắ* --> _up along_ (PIE *h₂en- _up, on high_ cf Proto-Germanic *ana > Ger. an, Eng. on, Dt. aan, Isl. á, Swe. å, på, D./Nor. Bokmål på, Nor. Nynorsk å) + Classical (mostly with prefixes) verb *«οἴγνυμι» oígnumĭ* --> _to open_ (PIE *h₃ueig- _to give away_ cf Skt. वेग (vega), _impulse, speed, velocity_).
-MoGr v. 3rd p. pl. present tense, active voice indicative *«κλείνουν»* [ˈklinun] --> _(they) close_ of v. *«κλείνω»* [ˈklino] --> _to close, shut, turn off, block_ < Classical denominative v. *«κλείω» kleíō* --> _to shut, block, (later) close_ < Classical fem. 3rd declension noun *«κλείς» kleís* (nom. sing.), *«κλειδός» kleidós* (gen. sing.) --> _bar, bolt, hook, pin, key_ (traditional instruments used for locking doors), _collar-bone_ (PIE *kleh₂u- _to lock_ cf Lat. clāvus, _nail, pin_/clāvis, _key, block_ > It. chiave, Sp. clave/llave, Fr. clé/clef, Por. chave, Rom. cheie; Proto-Slavic *ključь > Rus. ключ, Cz. klíč, OCS ключъ > BCS кључ/ključ).
-MoGr pl. neut. nominative nominal *«εισαγωγικά»* [isaɣoʝiˈka] --> _quotations_, lit. _marks pertaining to introduction_ < Koine neut. nominal *«εἰσαγωγικόν» eisăgōgikón* (nom. sing.), *«εἰσαγωγικά» eisăgōgikắ* (nom. pl.) < Classical fem. noun *«εἰσαγωγή» eisăgōgḗ* --> _introduction, importation of goods, elementary treatise_ < compound; Classical prep. & adv. *«εἰς» eis* --> _towards_ (PIE *h₁en- _in_) + Classical deverbal fem. noun *«ἀγωγή» ăgōgḗ* --> lit. _carrying away_, metaph. _rigorous education, training regimen, leading, guidance_ (the formation of the word remains unclear) < Classical v. *«ἄγω» ắgō* --> _to drive, lead, bring, carry, draw_ (PIE *h₂eǵ- _to drive, lead_ cf Skt. अजति (ajati), _to drive, throw_; Lat. agere > It. agire, F./Por. agir, Eng. act; Arm. ածեմ (acem); Proto-Germanic *akaną, _to drive, sail_ > Isl./Nor. aka, Swe. åka, D. age).
The Greek quotation mark is «».
Greek punctuation marks were introduced for the first time in the 3rd c. CE by the Hellenistic scholar Aristophanes of Byzantium.


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## Dymn

Catalan:
_*obre *_/_* tanca *_("open / close") _*parèntesi *_/ _*cometes *_/_* guió *_("parentheses / quotation marks / dash")

Spanish:
_*abre *_/ _*cierra *_("open / close") _*paréntesis *_/ _*comillas *_/ _*guion *_("parentheses / quotation marks / dash")

Both languages make a contrast between low or Latin quotation marks (« »), high or English quotation marks (" ") and simple quotation marks (' '). Most stylebooks recommend the Latin ones, leaving the others for quotes between quotes. However, maybe due to the fact that keyboards usually lack the Latin ones (aka Anglocentrism) I'm sure the English ones are more widespread nowadays.


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## ger4

German:

(  ) _Klammern_ = brackets (sg. _Klammer_)
(    _Klammer_ _auf_ < _auf_ = open
)    _Klammer_ _zu_ < _zu_ = closed

[  ] _eckige_ _Klammern_ < _eckig_ = square

{  } _geschweifte_ _Klammern_ < _geschweift_ = curved

"  " _Anführungszeichen_ < _Anführung_ = quotation + _Zeichen_ = sign

The traditional quotation marks used in Germany and Austria look like this „ “ but seem to be disappearing - on keyboards the default option is normally "  ". In printed texts you often see _chevrons_  » « in Germany and Austria but _guillemets _«  » in Switzerland.


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## merquiades

810senior, would you mind giving an example of what you mean by open/close brackets?  Thanks.
These [ ]?  If so, I suppose opened/closed brackets are the technical terms for them but when giving a speech maybe you could say   ".......  open parenthetical remark ........  close parenthetical remark    ......"


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## ThomasK

We call them "haakjes", little hooks, and then "ronde" and "vierkante" (round or square). And then:
- _open de haakjes
- sluit de haakjes_


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## Radioh

If we are reading something out loud and it is necessary to read all the punctuations, we would say "mở ngoặc"(open bracket)  and then "đóng ngoặc"(close bracket). For example, we'd read (xyz) as open bracket, x y z, close bracket. Another way to read it is "xyz in brackets".
"ngoặc" usually referes to this ( ), round brackets.


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## apmoy70

Let me add a few more in Greek:
*«Aνοίγει (η) παρένθεση»* [aˈniʝi (i) paˈɾenθesi] --> _opens (the) parenthesis_
*«Kλείνει (η) παρένθεση»* [ˈklini (i) paˈɾenθesi] --> _closes (the) panenthesis_. Παρένθεση: ()

*«Aνοίγουν (τα) άγκιστρα»* [aˈniɣun (ta) ˈaɲɟistra] --> _open (the) braces_.
*«Κλείνουν (τα) άγκιστρα»* [ˈklinun (ta) ˈaɲɟistra] --> _close (the) braces_. Άγκιστρα: {}

*«Ανοίγουν (οι) αγκύλες»* [aˈniɣun (i) aɲˈɟiles] --> _open (the) square brackets_.
*«Κλείνουν (oι) αγκύλες»* [ˈklinun (ι) aɲˈɟiles] --> _close (the) square brackets_. Αγκύλες: []

-MoGr fem. noun *«παρένθεση»* [paˈɾenθesi] (fem.) < Classical 3rd declension fem. noun *«παρένθεσις» păréntʰĕsis* (nom. sing.), *«παρενθέσεως» părĕntʰésĕōs* (gen. sing.) --> _parenthesis_ < compound; Classical adverb, preposition, and prefix *«παρά» părắ* & *«πάρα» pắră*  --> _besides, by, from, next to, alongside, against_ (PIE *preh₂- _beside, by_) + Classical prefix, and adv. *«ἐν» ĕn* --> _in, within_ (PIE *h₁en(i)- _in_ cf Latin in, Proto-Slavic *vъ(n) > Rus. в, Cz./Svk. v, Pol. w, OCS въ > BCS y/u, Bul. в; Proto-Germanic *in > Ger./Eng./Dt. in) + Classical deverbal 3rd declension fem. noun *«θέσις» tʰésis* (nom. sing.), *«θέσεως» tʰésĕōs* (gen. sing.) --> _setting, placing, position_ < Classical v. *«τίθημι» títʰēmĭ* --> _to put (away), lay (down), fix, make, place, set up, establish, create_ (PIE *dʰeh₁- _to put, lay down, create_ cf Latin facere, Proto-Germanic *dōną > Ger. tun, Eng. do, Dt. doen; the Greek reduplicated athematic present is also found in Skt. ददामि (dadhāmi), _to give_, Av. daδąmi, _idem_).

-MoGr neut. noun *«άγκιστρο»* [ˈaɲɟistro] (nom. sing.), *«άγκιστρα»* [ˈaɲɟistra] (nom. pl.) --> _brace/braces_ < Classical neut. noun *«ἄγκιστρον» ắngistrŏn* --> _hook, brace_ < PIE *h₂enk-s-tro- _hook_. The PIE root *h₂enk- _to bend_, is a widespread one (Skt. अञ्चति (án̄cati), _to bend, curl_, Hitt. ḫai(n)k- _to bestow_) while the formation of the Greek *-s-tro- suffix is unclear.

-MoGr fem. noun *«αγκύλη»* [aɲˈɟili] (nom. sing.), *«αγκύλες»* [aɲˈɟiles] (nom. pl.) --> _square bracket/brackets_ < Classical fem. noun *«ἀγκύλη» ăngúlē* --> _strap, loop, hook, hinge of a door_ (PIE *h₂enk- _to bend_ (see above)).


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## 810senior

merquiades said:


> 810senior, would you mind giving an example of what you mean by open/close brackets?  Thanks.
> These [ ]?  If so, I suppose opened/closed brackets are the technical terms for them but when giving a speech maybe you could say   ".......  open parenthetical remark ........  close parenthetical remark    ......"



What I meant in my first post is how to call every kind of quotation marks including parentheses which are opened and closed in speech when you call them in reality by making a sound.
For example, in Japanese, _「kyou wa samui na」 tarouga itta(trans.* "it's chill today" said Taro*)_ can be read as _*kakko hiraki* kyou wa samui na *kakko toji* tarou ga itta. _(lit. *mark-opening* it's chill today *mark-closing* said Taro), which might be rarely pronounced in practice.


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## merquiades

Ok, thanks.  I see.  I would say while speaking "in quotes", then "out of quotes".  Or perhaps, an even more common way of saying this is... "I quote" then you make the symbol of the quotation marks with both your index and middle fingers at the same time, hands raised... then after that to finish you say "end of quote".  With parentheses we usually say "in parentheses"


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## 810senior

@merquiades, Thanks for the helpful explanation. I didn't have the idea how to put them into natural English words.


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## luitzen

ThomasK said:


> We call them "haakjes", little hooks, and then "ronde" and "vierkante" (round or square). And then:
> - _open de haakjes
> - sluit de haakjes_


In Nederlands we say _haakjes open_ en _haakjes dicht_.


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## mataripis

Not common in Filipino. But in southern Tagalog, i remember open lines is bukas na saknong, close bracket is pinid or saradong saknong.


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## SuperXW

In Chinese (Mainland China, simplified Chinese), we generally use 前(*front*)/后(*back*) to mean "open/close" marks.

Each of these marks have specific names:
( ) 括号, 括弧 parentheses, brackets, 小括号 small brackets
[ ] 中括号 middle brackets 方括号 square brackets
{ } 大括号 big brackets
< > 尖括号 shape brackets
“ ” 引号 quotation marks 双引号 double quotation marks
‘ ’ 单引号 single quotation mark
《 》 书名号 book title marks

If you have to name the marks, you say 前括号 "*front bracket*" 后括号 "*back bracket*" etc.
When you are reading out a full paragraph, you can say 括号 “*bracket*”, then 括号完 "*bracket done*".


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## Encolpius

I remember those sentences from school when the teacher said: "open brackets...close brackets"...at maths classes....

Hungarian *zárojel bezár* [zárójel brackets, bezár close] but I think they said only *zárójel *[instead of "open brackets"], so we do not open, just close it...


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## M Mira

SuperXW said:


> In Chinese (Mainland China, simplified Chinese), we generally use 前(*front*)/后(*back*) to mean "open/close" marks.
> 
> Each of these marks have specific names:
> ( ) 括号, 括弧 parentheses, brackets, 小括号 small brackets
> [ ] 中括号 middle brackets 方括号 square brackets
> { } 大括号 big brackets
> < > 尖括号 shape brackets
> “ ” 引号 quotation marks 双引号 double quotation marks
> ‘ ’ 单引号 single quotation mark
> 《 》 书名号 book title marks
> 
> If you have to name the marks, you say 前括号 "*front bracket*" 后括号 "*back bracket*" etc.
> When you are reading out a full paragraph, you can say 括号 “*bracket*”, then 括号完 "*bracket done*".


In Taiwan, 上括號 and 下括號 (upper and lower brackets) are more often used, probably because vertical writing is still dominant in literature and newspaper, and horizontal writing is mostly used in non-fiction and on computers.


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## ilocas2

I'm not sure what this thread is exactly about, so this post is focused only on brackets.

In Czech bracket is *závorka*, plural is *závorky*

( - *levá závorka* - left bracket
) - *pravá závorka* - right bracket

( ) - *kulaté závorky* - round brackets
[ ] - *hranaté závorky* - angular brackets
{ } - *složené závorky* - compound brackets
*




* *



*- *lomené závorky* - refracted brackets
< > - *špičaté závorky* - pointed brackets
|| - *svislé závorky* - vertical brackets
|| || - *dvojité svislé závorky* - double vertical brackets


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## Gavril

merquiades said:


> Ok, thanks.  I see.  I would say while speaking "in quotes", then "out of quotes".



"quote ... end quote" is also very common.


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## ilocas2

I decided to write also about quotation marks.

In Czech quotation marks are *uvozovky*

„ “* - dvojité uvozovky - *double quotation marks
, ‘* - jednoduché uvozovky - *simple quotation marks
» « - *francouzské uvozovky* - French quotation marks


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## Encolpius

I had problems to understand the thread, too....but I think our Japanese friend was asking:

*to* open brackets /* to* close brackets

I recommend to fix the title of this thread

I think in Czech: "závorka"....."konec závorky" (brackets...end of brackets]


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## ilocas2

810senior said:


> I have by accident come up with a tiny and trivial question...
> 
> (1) Would you have something like "open/close brackets" in your language, when you read through a quotation surrounded by brackets, braces, parenthesis etc?
> 
> (2) If yes, what is that called in your language?
> For instance, in Japanese, "open brackets" accords with "括弧開きkakko hiraki, lit. brackets-opening" and "close brackets" with "括弧閉じkakko toji, lit. brackets-closing".
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks in advance!



Hi 810senior, I'm a Czech native speaker, Encolpius is not a Czech native speaker.



Encolpius said:


> I think in Czech: "závorka"....."konec závorky"



better - "v závorce"....."konec závorky"


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## Encolpius

Since the thread-opener did not write any concrete example and I am interested in the English version, too

3- (2x-1) is said in English: three minus *open parenthesis* two eks minus one* close parenthesis*


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## Gavril

Encolpius said:


> Since the thread-opener did not write any concrete example and I am interested in the English version, too
> 
> 3- (2x-1) is said in English: three minus *open parenthesis* two eks minus one* close parenthesis*



I would say "three minus *the quantity* two x minus one".

In this case, it is obvious that "the quantity" refers to "2x-1" because there are only two terms and nothing comes afterward. But, there might be other cases where it is more important to indicate where the parenthesis ends: for example, 4x(2y/9 + 3x) + 2.

I am not sure what the standard convention is for indicating the closed parenthesis, but I don't think there will be confusion if you just say "end parenthesis".


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## ger4

810senior said:


> ...
> For example, in Japanese, _「kyou wa samui na」 tarouga itta(trans.* "it's chill today" said Taro*)_ can be read as _*kakko hiraki* kyou wa samui na *kakko toji* tarou ga itta. _(lit. *mark-opening* it's chill today *mark-closing* said Taro), which might be rarely pronounced in practice.


In German, it would also be unusual to read out the quotation marks in a simple sentence like this one - but in formal speech, there is a specific pattern: as in English, we don't read out the word for 'quotation marks' but simply say 'quote',  in German: _*Zitat*_.

- _*Zitat*_ ('quote') or _*ich zitiere*_ ('I quote') is said before the quotation

*- Zitatende* ('end of quote', 'unquote') is said after the quotation (actually, _Zitat_e_nde_ is often omitted when the context makes it clear).

_Taro said: "It is cold today"
Taro sagte: "Es ist kalt heute"
Taro sagte, *Zitat*: Es ist kalt heute (*Zitatende)*
Taro sagte, *ich zitiere*: Es ist kalt heute (*Zitatende*) 

---_
As for brackets, we use the terms *Klammer *_*auf* / *Klammer zu* _(literally 'brackets open' / 'brackets closed') when accuracy is important, or when used in mathematics (as in Encolpius' example). More informally, we only say _*in Klammern*_ (lit. 'in brackets') before the first bracket. 

Edit: In a Japanese-German online dictionary     http://www.wadoku.de/entry/view/10050208
I found  括弧 _kakko_ translated as both _Klammern_ ('brackets') and _Anführungszeichen_ ('quotation marks'), that's why I thought the thread was about both (is that right?)


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## 810senior

Holger2014 said:


> Edit: In a Japanese-German online dictionary     http://www.wadoku.de/entry/view/10050208
> I found  括弧 _kakko_ translated as both _Klammern_ ('brackets') and _Anführungszeichen_ ('quotation marks'), that's why I thought the thread was about both (is that right?)



That's right. 括弧 is a very comprehensive word including both brackets, parentheses and other considerable quotation marks like 【】「」《》 etc.


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## KalAlbè

Gavril said:


> "quote ... end quote" is also very common.


This is how I've always heard and used it.


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