Exclamation serves to show a vivid reaction: surprise, admiration, anger, joy, fear, disappointment. In writing, the exclamation mark marks this expressive force, as in Quel bruit ! or C’est incroyable !. In speech, the voice rises, speeds up or tightens according to the emotion. The exclamation mark is not mandatory in every expressive sentence, but it makes the reaction visible in the written sentence. For general punctuation, see Punctuation.

With quel, the exclamation is built around a noun. The form follows this model: quel + noun, or quel + adjective + noun. The word changes according to gender and number: quel homme, quelle idée, quels amis, quelles chansons. The adjective placed after quel emphasizes the quality of the noun: quelle belle journée !, quel travail formidable !. Here, quel functions as a determiner that signals astonishment, admiration or judgment.

Que and comme place the focus on quality or intensity. With que, you often get the structure: que + subject + verb + adjective, as in Que c’est bon ! or Que tu es rapide !. With comme, the structure is: comme + subject + verb + adjective, as in Comme c’est difficile ! or Comme il est gentil !. Que expresses a very strong reaction. Comme emphasizes the manner or degree, with a more direct and spontaneous impression.

Some exclamations gain more emphasis by changing the usual word order. The structure is: que + verb + subject + adjective, as in Qu’il est grand !. The verb precedes the subject to highlight the quality. Another form is to reprise a noun already present or obvious, then add an expressive clarification: Ce film, quel chef-d’œuvre !. The first part designates the object, the second adds the judgment with quel.

In speech, many exclamations are incomplete. They keep only the words useful to the reaction. One says Quel dommage !, Tant mieux !, Incroyable !, Pas possible !. The verb may disappear if the context suffices. These forms are very natural in conversations, messages and quick reactions. They express an attitude without building a complete sentence.

Particles and interjections give an immediate reaction, often very oral. Oui !, non ! and si ! serve to answer promptly. Voilà ! marks arrival, confirmation or result. Tiens ! signals surprise, attention or a small change in the conversation. Eh bien ! opens a reaction, hesitation or comment. These words can form an exclamation on their own, or accompany a longer sentence. In Interjections, these forms appear in broader usages.

Exclamation and question can sometimes resemble each other in writing, but they do not have the same function. The question seeks an answer: Tu viens ?, Pourquoi partir ?. The exclamation expresses a reaction: Tu viens !, Pourquoi partir !. The intonation distinguishes them orally. The question asks for information, while the exclamation carries an emotional force. In writing, the question mark and the exclamation mark fix this difference. With certain words like quand, comment or combien, the context and punctuation show whether the sentence asks something or expresses astonishment.