diff --git a/docca.py b/docca.py
index 7569438..ca7703b 100755
--- a/docca.py
+++ b/docca.py
@@ -108,6 +108,27 @@ class UrlLink(Phrase):
             result = self.url
         return result
 
+class EmDash:
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
+        pass
+
+    @property
+    def text(self):
+        return '\u2014'
+
+    def __len__(self):
+        return 0
+
+class EnDash:
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
+        pass
+
+    @property
+    def text(self):
+        return '\u2013'
+
+    def __len__(self):
+        return 0
 
 class Block:
     pass
@@ -453,6 +474,8 @@ def make_phrase(element, index, allow_missing_refs=False):
         'ulink': make_url_link,
         'linebreak': make_linebreak,
         'ref': make_entity_reference,
+        'mdash': EmDash,
+        'ndash': EnDash,
     }[element.tag]
     return func(element, index, allow_missing_refs=allow_missing_refs)
 
@@ -1316,6 +1339,8 @@ def construct_environment(loader, config):
     env.tests['Monospaced'] = lambda x: isinstance(x, Monospaced)
     env.tests['EntityRef'] = lambda x: isinstance(x, EntityRef)
     env.tests['UrlLink'] = lambda x: isinstance(x, UrlLink)
+    env.tests['EmDash'] = lambda x: isinstance(x, EmDash)
+    env.tests['EnDash'] = lambda x: isinstance(x, EnDash)
 
     env.tests['Block'] = lambda x: isinstance(x, Block)
     env.tests['Paragraph'] = lambda x: isinstance(x, Paragraph)
diff --git a/include/docca/quickbook.jinja2 b/include/docca/quickbook.jinja2
index a31f7e4..735a7ae 100644
--- a/include/docca/quickbook.jinja2
+++ b/include/docca/quickbook.jinja2
@@ -84,6 +84,14 @@ class EntityRef(Phrase): # text with associated entity
 class UrlLink(Phrase): # a direct full or relative link, similar to HTML <a>
     url -> str
 
+class EmDash(Phrase): # an em-dash
+    text -> str # the Unicode character for em-dashes
+    def __len__(self) -> int # always 0
+
+class EnDash(Phrase): # an en-dash
+    text -> str # the Unicode character for en-dashes
+    def __len__(self) -> int # always 0
+
 class Block(): # A single block or hierarchy of blocks
     pass
 
diff --git a/include/docca/quickbook/components.jinja2 b/include/docca/quickbook/components.jinja2
index 9b0f138..4063344 100644
--- a/include/docca/quickbook/components.jinja2
+++ b/include/docca/quickbook/components.jinja2
@@ -673,6 +673,10 @@ Convenience header {{ source_header(Config.convenience_header) }}
 {% macro phrase_part(part, in_code=False) -%}
     {%- if part is string -%}
         {{ text_helper(part, in_code=in_code) }}
+    {%- elif part is EmDash -%}
+        {{ part.text }}
+    {%- elif part is EnDash -%}
+        {{ part.text }}
     {%- elif part is Monospaced -%}
         `{{ phrase(part, in_code=True) }}`
     {%- elif part is Emphasised -%}
diff --git a/test/docca_qbk_test.py b/test/docca_qbk_test.py
index e83ce38..e23a14d 100644
--- a/test/docca_qbk_test.py
+++ b/test/docca_qbk_test.py
@@ -594,9 +594,11 @@ def test_phrase(entities, cfg, render):
         docca.Emphasised(['emph ', docca.Strong(['bold'])]),
         docca.Linebreak(),
         docca.UrlLink('http://a.b/c', ['link text']),
+        docca.EmDash(),
         docca.EntityRef(entities['g1'], ['ref text']),
         docca.Linebreak(),
         docca.EntityRef(entities['ostream'], ['output stream']),
+        docca.EnDash(),
         docca.Phrase([' ', 'more text']),
         docca.Linebreak(),
         docca.EntityRef(entities['o[]'], 'operator[]'),
@@ -604,9 +606,9 @@ def test_phrase(entities, cfg, render):
     assert render(parts) == textwrap.dedent('''\
         regular text `monospaced text` ['emph [*bold]]
 
-        [@http://a.b/c link text][link ns1__ns2__klass.g `ref text`]
+        [@http://a.b/c link text]\u2014[link ns1__ns2__klass.g `ref text`]
 
-        [@http://ostream.org `output stream`] more text
+        [@http://ostream.org `output stream`]\u2013 more text
 
         [link ns1__ns2__klass.operator__lb__rb_ `operator[]`]''')
 
@@ -616,9 +618,9 @@ def test_phrase(entities, cfg, render):
     assert render(parts) == textwrap.dedent('''\
         regular text `monospaced text` ['emph [*bold]]
 
-        [@http://a.b/c link text]``[link ns1__ns2__klass.g [^ns1::ns2::klass::g]]``
+        [@http://a.b/c link text]\u2014``[link ns1__ns2__klass.g [^ns1::ns2::klass::g]]``
 
-        ``[@http://ostream.org [^std::ostream]]`` more text
+        ``[@http://ostream.org [^std::ostream]]``\u2013 more text
 
         ``[link ns1__ns2__klass.operator__lb__rb_ [^ns1::ns2::klass::operator\[\]]]``''')
 
diff --git a/test/docca_test.py b/test/docca_test.py
index a7428c2..67ee521 100644
--- a/test/docca_test.py
+++ b/test/docca_test.py
@@ -517,6 +517,14 @@ def test_phrases():
     assert isinstance(p[0], docca.Phrase)
     assert p[0].text == ''
 
+    p = docca.make_phrase(make_elem({'tag': 'mdash'}), None)
+    assert isinstance(p, docca.EmDash)
+    assert p.text == '\u2014'
+
+    p = docca.make_phrase(make_elem({'tag': 'ndash'}), None)
+    assert isinstance(p, docca.EnDash)
+    assert p.text == '\u2013'
+
 def test_namespace():
     ns = docca.Namespace(
         make_elem({