Reading signs and work notices: commands, 〜な, 〜こと and 〜中

Signs and notices use a very short, strict kind of Japanese. On a factory floor you will see 止まれ and 走るな; in your apartment building, a list of rules ending in 〜こと; at the station, お待まちください — which you can now read with its kanji: お待ちください. These forms sound rude in conversation, but on signs they are normal and simply clear. This lesson teaches you to read them, with three new texts written for TalkToJapan.

Every kanji in the texts was taught in N5 or in N4 lessons 1–28. Words with other kanji have furigana. The building and company are made up, but real signs look very similar.

Commands: 止まれ, 急げ

The command form is the strongest way to tell someone to do something. You see it on road signs and safety signs and hear it in emergencies and sports — never use it to customers or your manager. Group 1: last u-sound → e-sound: 止まる → 止まれ, 急ぐ → 急げ, 行く → 行け. Group 2: る → ろ: 見る → 見ろ, 起きる → 起きろ. Irregular: する → しろ, 来る → 来い (こい).

Don’t: dictionary form + な

Dictionary form + な means “don’t”: 走るな — “No running.” 入るな — “Keep out.” さわるな — “Do not touch.” Be careful: this な is different from the soft 〜な at the end of a casual sentence (いいな, “that’s nice”). On a sign, dictionary form + な is always a prohibition.

Sign	Form	Meaning
止まれ	command	Stop
急げ	command	Hurry
走るな	prohibition	No running
入るな / 立入禁止きんし	prohibition	Keep out / No entry
さわるな / さわらないでください	prohibition / polite	Do not touch

Written instructions: 〜こと and 〜なさい

Rules, test instructions and work manuals often end with dictionary form (or ない-form) + こと: ヘルメットをかぶること — “Wear a helmet.” 作業中はスマホを使わないこと — “Do not use your phone while working.” It is neutral and official, not rude. 〜なさい (ます-stem + なさい) is what teachers and parents say to children and what test papers say: 正しいものを選えらびなさい — “Choose the correct answer.” Don’t use なさい to adults at work.

〜中: ちゅう or じゅう?

After a noun, 中 read ちゅう means “in the middle of”: 作業中 (さぎょうちゅう, work in progress), 営えい業中 (えいぎょうちゅう, open for business), 会議ぎ中 (かいぎちゅう, in a meeting), 準備じゅんび中 (じゅんびちゅう, closed — getting ready), 使用中 (しようちゅう, in use / occupied). Read じゅう, it means “throughout”: 一日中 (いちにちじゅう, all day), 世界中 (せかいじゅう). A shop door that says 準備じゅんび中 is closed, even if the lights are on.

Polite “please don’t”: ご遠慮えんりょください

In shops, trains and apartments you will see the polite version: ご遠慮えんりょください — “please refrain from …”: 撮影さつえいはご遠慮えんりょください (no photos), 車内しゃないでの電話はご遠慮えんりょください (no phone calls on the train). It sounds soft, but it means “don’t”. Also common: 〜はおやめください and 〜は禁止きんしです (is prohibited).

Reading 1: signs at work and at the station

【工場の中】
A　作業中　入るな
B　止まれ
C　走るな
D　重い物は二人で運ぶこと
E　ヘルメットをかぶること
【駅】
F　危あぶないですから、黄色きいろい線せんの内側うちがわでお待まちください
G　駅の中で走らないでください
H　盲導犬もうどうけん・介助犬かいじょけんはいっしょに乗のれます

Help: A is 作業中 + 入るな — work in progress, keep out. D and E end in 〜こと: carry heavy things with two people; wear a helmet. F: the yellow line (黄色きいろい線せん) is the tactile paving at the platform edge — wait behind it. H: guide dogs (盲導犬もうどうけん) and service dogs (介助犬かいじょけん) may ride with their users.

Reading 2: apartment rules

【さくらハイツ　住む方へのお願ねがい】
一、ごみは、決きめられた日の朝八時までに出すこと。
二、ろうかや階段かいだんに自転車や荷に物をおかないこと。
三、犬やねこを飼かうときは、管理かんり会社に知らせること。小さい犬とねこは飼かってもいいですが、大きい犬は飼かえません。
四、夜十時から朝七時までは、大きい音おとを出さないこと。
五、ベランダでのタバコはご遠慮えんりょください。
管理かんり会社　さくら不ふ動産さん

Help: 決きめられた日 = the set days (passive, lesson 24). 飼かう = to keep (a pet); 飼かえません is its potential negative. 管理かんり会社 is the management company. Rule 5 uses the polite ご遠慮えんりょください, but it means the same as the こと rules: don’t. For more about living with neighbours, see our garbage and etiquette guide.

Reading 3: a notice board

【社員のみなさんへ】
来週の水曜日、午後二時から四時まで、二階かいの会議ぎ室で防災訓練ぼうさいくんれんを行います。
その日は、作業服を着て、ヘルメットを持もってくること。
訓練くんれん中は、エレベーターは使えません。階段かいだんを使ってください。走らないで、ゆっくり歩くこと。
休む人は、月曜日までに担当たんとう者の山下に知らせてください。
総務部そうむぶ

Help: 防災訓練ぼうさいくんれん = disaster drill; 行います (おこないます) = will hold. 訓練くんれん中 = during the drill (ちゅう). The notice mixes 〜こと (instructions) and 〜てください (requests); both are things you have to do.

New kanji: 待, 走, 重, 犬, 作

待 is to wait: 待つ (まつ), 待合あい室 (まちあいしつ, waiting room) — compare 持 (hold) and 特 (special). 走 is to run: 走る (はしる). 重 is heavy: 重い (おもい), 体重 (たいじゅう, body weight). 犬 is a dog: 犬 (いぬ), 子犬 (こいぬ, puppy) — it looks like 大 with a dot. 作 is to make: 作る (つくる), 作業 (さぎょう, work; operations), 作り方 (つくりかた, how to make) — from now on without furigana.

Common mistakes

• Using command forms in conversation: 待まて ✗ to a coworker → ちょっと待ってください ✓.
• Reading 走るな as “running is nice”: on a sign, dictionary form + な is “don’t”.
• Reading 〜こと as a suggestion: on a rules sheet it is an instruction you must follow.
• Entering a shop that says 準備じゅんび中: it is not open yet.
• Reading 一日中 as いちにちちゅう: it is いちにちじゅう (all day).

How to practise

• Take photos of five signs on your way to work and find the form: command, 〜な, 〜こと, 〜中 or ご遠慮えんりょください.
• Read the rules of your own building or dormitory and list what you must and must not do.
• Write 待, 走, 重, 犬 and 作 on the worksheet and answer the reading questions there.