Slovene Punctuation - Dash

Dash

A dash (–) is a one or two part non-leaning punctuation mark (except where noted). Semantically, there is no difference between the longer and the shorter dash, – and –, although common usage prefers the shorter one in all cases except upon connection of unrelated sentences. In electronic writing, a hyphen may be used instead of a dash.

A dash usually indicates pausing or abrupt interruption. When used as a sentence closing punctuation mark, the pitch is cadent, thus decreased towards the end of such a sentence, or semi-cadent, indicating a half-finished thought, or there is no change in pitch.

A dash can be used instead of a comma to emphasise separation words and clauses. Note that in example 2, unlike in English, the end of the appositive is unmarked in Slovene.

• Smrt fašizmu – svoboda narodu! (Death to fascism – freedom to the nation!)
• O problemu individuacija – rast sebstva po Frommu smo morali pisati esej. (We had to write an essay on the problem 'individuation – growth of self' as per Fromm.)

It is also used when inserting sentences or including additional information.

• Subtilna občutja – to je, nežna in občutljiva – se očividno izražajo v prebranem delu. (Subtile emotions – that is, gentle and delicate – are apparently expressed in the read work.) (note that the word 'subtile' in this sense in English is somewhat old-fashioned)
• Da – tako je tudi res bilo –, in to sem mu jasno povedala. (Yes – and it really was so, too –, and I told him that clearly.)
• Joj, prejoj – občutljivi kot smo bili – sneg je zapadel in zeblo nas je. (Oh dear and even more so – sensitive as we were – snow had fallen and we were feeling cold.)

Sentence punctuation is not changed when using dashes, so an inserted sentence before a comma is usually followed by a comma nonetheless, even though some might see this usage as rather pedantic.

A dash at the end of a sentence marks an abrupt end, a breaking of thought or unwillingness to continue:

• Zapeti bi bila morala, pa – (I should have sung, but –)
• Če v bližnji prihodnosti, kolega Novak, ne zaprete svojega kljunčka, bomo prisiljeni izvesti določene sankcije, kot so, denimo, mučenje ali preprost izgon: svarim Vas: bodite tiho, če ne –! (If you, colleague Novak (likely a university student), do not close your beak (sarcastic for mouth), we shall be forced to impose certain sanctions, such as, let us say, torture or a simple exile: I am warning you: be silent, or else –!)

In sentences without a predicate, a dash can represent the connexion between the subject and the object.

• Vino – strup ali zdravilo? (Wine – poison or medicine?)

A dash can introduce direct speech if there is no accompanying sentence before direct speech itself.

Dash sometimes separates multiple surnames, though it is more usual to merely use a space. A dash is still used when listing an alias after a full name, but only if this alias does not function as a surname. In these senses, a dash is a leaning punctuation mark.

• Katarina Čkorjanc–Vesel (or Katarina Čkorjanc-Vesel, or, as it is oftenest, Katarina Čkorjanc Vesel)
• Josip Broz–Tito
• Karel Veliki (Charles the Great)
• Karel Plešasti (Charles the Bald)

Similarly, a leaning dash is used in other instances where words are closely connected to one another and both parts are inflected.

• Kozina–Hrpelje ('Kozina in Hrpelje', two places)

A dash also expresses the meaning of 'to' or 'up to' or 'until':

• cena: 1000–1200 SIT (the price: SIT 1000–1200)
• "Otroci, na vlaku Trst–Dunaj zaspite. Tam vmes ničesar ni." (Children, on the train Triest–Vienna, go to sleep. There is nothing in between.) (Tomaž Šalamun)
• Za domačo nalogo boste rešili naloge 272–279. (For homework, you will do exercises 272–279.)
• Delovni čas: 0–24 (Opening hours: 0–24)

A dash is used as the symbol for minus, although the separate minus sign is also used:

• 5x² – 5x – 1 = 0
• –2 °C

Dashes may introduce lists. For example:
– prvi primer,
– drugi primer,
– tretji primer.