CSS quotes Property: Styling Quotations in CSS

Table of Contents

Understanding the CSS `quotes` Property: Styling Quotations in CSS

The CSS quotes property gives web developers control over how quotation marks are displayed around quoted text. This is particularly useful for internationalization, where different languages use different quotation marks. By using the quotes property, you can ensure that quotations are styled appropriately for the content’s language and context.

Purpose of the `quotes` Property

The primary purpose of the quotes property is to:

Customize the quotation marks used for the q element and the ::before and ::after pseudo-elements when used with the open-quote and close-quote values of the content property.
Provide language-specific quotation marks for a more localized user experience.
Enhance the visual presentation of quotations in web content.

Syntax

The quotes property can accept several values, allowing for a high degree of customization:

quotes: none | [ string string ]+;

Value	Description
`none`	Specifies that no quotation marks should be displayed.
`[ string string ]+`	Specifies pairs of open and close quotation marks. You can specify multiple pairs for nested quotations.

Basic Usage

The most basic use of the quotes property involves specifying a pair of opening and closing quotation marks.

q {
  quotes: '"' '"';
}

This CSS will render the q element with standard double quotation marks.

Examples

Let’s explore a few examples to illustrate how the quotes property can be used in various scenarios.

Example 1: Basic Quotation Styling

This example demonstrates how to style a simple quotation using the quotes property.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>Basic Quotation Styling</title>
    <style>
      q {
        quotes: '"' '"';
        color: #333;
      }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>
    <p>
      Here is a simple quotation: <q>This is a quoted text.</q>
    </p>
  </body>
</html>

In this example, the quotes property sets the quotation marks to standard double quotes, and the color property sets the text color to dark gray.

Example 2: Using Different Quotation Marks

This example shows how to use different quotation marks for a more distinct style.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>Different Quotation Marks</title>
    <style>
      q {
        quotes: "“" "”";
        font-style: italic;
      }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>
    <p>
      Here is a quotation with special marks: <q>This is a quoted text.</q>
    </p>
  </body>
</html>

Here, the quotes property uses typographic quotation marks (“ and ”), and the font-style property sets the text to italic.

Example 3: Nested Quotations

Nested quotations require multiple pairs of quotation marks to be defined in the quotes property.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>Nested Quotations</title>
    <style>
      q {
        quotes: '"' '"' "'" "'";
      }

      q:nth-of-type(2) {
        color: blue; /* Style the nested quote */
      }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>
    <p>
      Here is a quotation with a nested quote:
      <q
        >This is the outer quote.
        <q>This is the inner quote.</q>
      </q>
    </p>
  </body>
</html>

In this example, the quotes property defines two pairs of quotation marks: double quotes for the outer quotation and single quotes for the inner quotation. A CSS rule styles the nested quote in blue.

Example 4: Disabling Quotation Marks

You can disable quotation marks altogether by setting the quotes property to none.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>Disabling Quotation Marks</title>
    <style>
      q {
        quotes: none;
      }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>
    <p>
      Here is a quotation with no marks: <q>This is a quoted text.</q>
    </p>
  </body>
</html>

This example removes any quotation marks from the q element, which can be useful for specific styling requirements.

Example 5: Styling with Pseudo-elements

The quotes property can be combined with the ::before and ::after pseudo-elements to style quotations.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>Styling with Pseudo-elements</title>
    <style>
      q {
        quotes: "«" "»";
      }

      q:before {
        content: open-quote;
        color: green;
        font-size: 1.2em;
      }

      q:after {
        content: close-quote;
        color: red;
        font-size: 1.2em;
      }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>
    <p>
      Here is a quotation with styled pseudo-elements:
      <q>This is a quoted text.</q>
    </p>
  </body>
</html>

In this example, the quotation marks are set to « and », and the ::before and ::after pseudo-elements are used to style the opening and closing quotes with different colors and font sizes.

Example 6: Language-Specific Quotation Marks

Different languages use different quotation marks. The quotes property can be used to specify language-specific marks.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="de">
  <head>
    <title>Language-Specific Quotation Marks</title>
    <style>
      q {
        quotes: "\00BB" "\00AB"; /* » « */
      }

      q:lang(de) {
        quotes: "\00BB" "\00AB"; /* » « for German */
      }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>
    <p>
      Hier ist ein Zitat auf Deutsch: <q lang="de">Dies ist ein Zitat.</q>
    </p>
    <p>
      Here is a quote in English: <q>This is a quote.</q>
    </p>
  </body>
</html>

In this example, the quotes property is used to specify German quotation marks (» and «) for quotations marked with the lang="de" attribute.

Tips and Best Practices

Use Specific Quotation Marks: Choose quotation marks that are appropriate for the language and context of your content.
Consider Accessibility: Ensure that your styling does not interfere with the readability or accessibility of the content.
Test Across Browsers: While the quotes property is widely supported, testing across different browsers ensures consistency.
Combine with Pseudo-elements: Use ::before and ::after pseudo-elements for advanced styling of quotation marks.
Nested Quotations: When dealing with nested quotations, make sure to define enough pairs of quotation marks to handle the nesting levels.

Browser Support

The quotes property is well-supported across modern browsers.

| Browser | Support |
| ————— | ——- |
| Chrome | Yes |
| Firefox | Yes |
| Safari | Yes |
| Edge | Yes |
| Opera | Yes |
| Internet Explorer | Yes (8+) |

Conclusion

The CSS quotes property is a powerful tool for styling quotations in web content, allowing for customization and internationalization. By understanding and utilizing this property, you can ensure that your quotations are displayed appropriately and enhance the overall user experience.