Ideographic Comma 、

、 (U+3001) is a standard Unicode character that you can copy and paste anywhere text is accepted. This page provides a concise reference with safe tips, internal links, and practical guidance so you can use it reliably across apps and platforms.

What it is and where it’s used: Ideographic Comma is part of the Symbols family (block: CJK Symbols and Punctuation). If you need styled or decorative alternatives, try our Fancy Text tool to generate compatible text that works in most modern interfaces.

History & usage: The IDEOGRAPHIC COMMA, code point U+3001, belongs to the CJK Symbols and Punctuation block and the Common script. It is used in East Asian writing to structure lists and phrases. It marks a pause and separates items in a series, similar to a comma in Latin scripts but with distinct spacing rules. In typography, it appears in vertical and horizontal text and follows different conventions from other commas. History notes that it emerged with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean typography and was added as a standardized punctuation mark in digital text. Usage rules vary by style and locale: some styles use it between items in a list, others use it to separate clauses. It helps readers parse ideas quickly because it cues tone and rhythm. For learners, recognizing U+3001 helps read texts that mix scripts and genres. Writers pick placement to match the target audience and publication style. The symbol is small but important for clear meaning in East Asian texts.

Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+3001 in many development tools or editors. Some operating systems provide a character viewer or input palette that lets you search by name or code and insert the glyph into documents.

Display and fallback: if you see an empty box (tofu) or a placeholder rectangle, the active font might not include this codepoint. Switching to a font with broader Unicode coverage or using a fallback font usually fixes the issue. On the web, ensure the page’s font stack includes a general‑purpose fallback.

Related references: browse the Categories for similar characters. When choosing a symbol, prefer the official codepoint for semantic clarity and better compatibility with search, copy, and accessibility tooling.

See our category page for related symbols.