Signs

1. 入口

   Rùkǒu

   Entrance

   Usage

   Displayed at the entrance of buildings, stations, and facilities

2. 出口

   Chūkǒu

   Exit

   Usage

   Displayed at the exit of buildings, stations, and facilities

3. 安全出口

   Ānquán chūkǒu

   Emergency Exit

   Usage

   Chinese emergency exits are marked "ānquán chūkǒu", not "jǐnjí chūkǒu"; usually shown with a green pictogram

4. 开门

   Kāimén

   Open (doors open)

   Usage

   Appears on opening-hours notices and in the shop-front question "jǐ diǎn kāimén" (what time do you open)

5. 关门

   Guānmén

   Closed (doors shut)

   Usage

   Appears on closing-hours notices; in some contexts it can also mean a business has shut down for good

6. 营业中

   Yíngyè zhōng

   Open for Business

   Usage

   The "currently open" placard hung at shops, banks, and restaurants

7. 休息中

   Xiūxi zhōng

   On Break / Temporarily Closed

   Usage

   Chinese has no exact equivalent of Japanese "junbichuu" — this is the closest placard, hung during a midday break or before opening

8. 男

   Nán

   Men

   Usage

   Marks the men's entrance, typically a restroom; sometimes written "náncè"

9. 女

   Nǚ

   Women

   Usage

   Marks the women's entrance, typically a restroom; sometimes written "nǚcè"

10. 禁止入内

    Jìnzhǐ rùnèi

    No Entry

    Usage

    Posted on doors or areas restricted to authorized people only

11. 禁止吸烟

    Jìnzhǐ xīyān

    No Smoking

    Usage

    No-smoking sign posted indoors, in restaurants, and on transport

12. 吸烟区

    Xīyānqū

    Smoking Area

    Usage

    Marks a designated smoking area, e.g. at airports and stations

13. 楼梯

    Lóutī

    Stairs

    Usage

    Directional sign pointing to stairs in stations and buildings

14. 推

    Tuī

    Push

    Usage

    Sign on a door indicating it should be pushed to open

15. 拉

    Lā

    Pull

    Usage

    Sign on a door indicating it should be pulled to open

16. 施工中

    Shīgōng zhōng

    Under Construction

    Usage

    Posted at construction sites or closed-off passages

17. 故障

    Gùzhàng

    Out of Order

    Usage

    Posted on broken elevators, vending machines, or restroom stalls; often paired with "zàntíng shǐyòng" (out of service)

Browse all TravelPhrases languages