On English keyboards following the QWERTY layout, the question mark is easily typed by pressing the "Shift" key and the forward slash ("/") key. However, on French keyboards using the AZERTY layout, the placement of the question mark is different. It is located on the "M" key when the shift key is pressed, a direct swap from its position on QWERTY keyboards.
Don’t feel frustrated. Every French person who learned to type on an AZERTY keyboard has had to teach a foreign friend where the question mark is. It’s a rite of passage. question mark french keyboard
Note on the exclamation mark: That’s a whole other blog post. On AZERTY, it’s Shift + Q . Yes, really. On English keyboards following the QWERTY layout, the
If you are trying to type a question mark and the letter appears instead, your computer has likely switched from an English layout to a Canadian French layout. To fix this immediately: Don’t feel frustrated
The early days of typewriters and computer keyboards saw a variety of layouts, each designed to optimize typing efficiency and adapted to the specific needs of different languages. The QWERTY layout, which became the standard for English-speaking countries, was not universally adopted. Instead, different regions developed their own layouts to accommodate local languages and characters.