The guillemets « and » are Alt+0171 and Alt+0187 on Windows, and Option+backslash and Option+Shift+backslash on a Mac. They are the standard quotation marks in French, Russian, Spanish and several other languages. German reverses their direction.
01 All shortcuts at a glance
| Platform | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Windows (Alt code) | Hold Alt, type 0171 on the numpad |
|
| Windows (any app) | Win+. or Win+; emoji/symbol picker, or Character Map (Win+R → charmap) |
|
| Mac | Control+Command+Space to open Character Viewer, search "Left-Pointing Double Angle Quotation Mark" |
|
| Word / Outlook | Type 00AB, then press Alt+X |
|
| Linux (IBus) | Ctrl+Shift+U, then 00ab, then Enter |
|
| HTML / CSS | « · \00ab (CSS) |
02 Step by step, per platform
A real, followable procedure for every platform, not a thin restatement of the shortcut.
Windows
- Make sure Num Lock is on.
- Hold Alt and type 0171 on the numeric keypad.
- Release Alt, « appears.
Mac
- Press Control+Command+Space to open the Character Viewer.
- Type "Left-Pointing Double Angle Quotation Mark" in the search field.
- Double-click the result to insert it.
Microsoft Word
- Type 00AB.
- Press Alt+X immediately after, it converts the hex code to «.
03 Characters in this set
04 Troubleshooting & confusables
| Looks like it | But it's actually | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ‹ › (U+2039, U+203A) | Single angle quotation marks | For a quotation inside a quotation, in the same way English nests single quotes. |
| << >> | Four less-than and greater-than signs | A plain-text substitute. Use the real characters wherever the encoding allows. |
| »text« | German usage, pointing inward | Correct in German and Danish, where the marks face the opposite way to French. |
05 FAQ
What are the Unicode code points for guillemets?
The opening mark is U+00AB and the closing mark is U+00BB, decimal 171 and 187. Alt+0171 and Alt+0187 type them on Windows.
Which languages use guillemets?
French, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Greek, Norwegian and many others. Each has its own convention for direction and spacing, so follow the target language rather than copying French.
Why does German point them inward?
German typography treats them as arrows pointing at the quoted text, giving »so«. French points them outward as »« reversed, giving « so ». Both are correct in their own language.
Are there spaces inside French guillemets?
Yes. French style inserts a narrow non-breaking space after the opening mark and before the closing one, as in « bonjour ». Word does this automatically with a French language setting.
What are they called?
Guillemets in English and French, named after the printer Guillaume Le Bé. They are also called angle quotes, and informally duck-foot quotes.