Use of Parentheses

Use of Parentheses
Parentheses (el paréntesis in the singular, los paréntesis in the plural) are usually used in
Spanish to enclose explanatory or supplemental information, often within a sentence. When
parentheses are used this way, they are used much as they are in English.
Single words or numbers as well as complete sentences (or, rarely, more) can be included in
parentheses.
Here are some examples of such usage:




El producto interno bruto (PIB) es el valor monetario total de la producción de
bienes y servicios de un país. The gross domestic product (GDP) is the total monetary
value of goods and services produced in a country.
Qatar (conocido oficialmente como el Estado de Qatar) es un emirato del Oriente
Medio ubicado en una pequeña península. Qatar (officially known as the State of
Qatar) is a Mideast emirate located on a tiny peninsula.
Madonna nació el 16 de agosto de 1958 en el barrio de Bay City (Detroit, Míchigan).
Madonna was born Aug. 16, 1958, in the Bay City neighborhood (Detroit, Mich.).
La primera aplicación práctica generalizada de la electricidad fue el telégrafo de
Samuel Morse (1833). The first widespread practical application of electricity was the
telegraph of Samuel Morse (1833).
Parenthesis similarly can be used to provide options. The most common reason to indicate
such options are to indicate that either the singular or plural forms can apply, or both male
and female:


Motivamos a los niños(as) para que les guste el ejercicio. We're motivating the
boys/girls so they like exercise.
La(s) persona(s) abajo firmante(s) autoriza(n) el pago. The person(s) who signed
below authorize(s) the payment.
Note that in the above examples, it also would have been possible to use a slash (barra in
Spanish), as also can be done in English: Motivamos a los niños/as para que les guste el
ejercicio. La/s persona/s abajo firmante/s authoriza/n el pago.
Parenthesis also are used to enclose ellipses (tres puntos) to indicate that material was
omitted in a quotation. Such parentheses are not used in English: El Congreso no hará ley
(...) que coarte la libertad de expresión. Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom
of speech. Some publications use square brackets [such as these], called corchetes in Spanish,
instead of parenthesis to enclose ellipses.
Parentheses can also be used in numbered or lettered lists:

Le ofrecemos los siguientes tipos de préstamo:
(a) Crédito a corto plazo.

(b) Préstamo para la vivienda.
(c) Préstamos personales.
We offer you the following types of loans:
(a) Short-term credit.
(b) Home loans.
(c) Personal loans.
As in English, itemized lists can also be done using only a closing parenthesis in each listed
item: a) Crédito a corto plazo.
Primary reference source: Diccionario panhispánnico de dudas published by the Royal
Spanish Academy.