Translation guide
The English word "signs" covers a wide range of meanings, from physical indicators and symbols to gestures, omens, and evidence. This guide breaks down the most common uses for learners and provides natural Japanese equivalents.
Physical signs that display information, such as street signs, shop signs, warning signs, etc.
General word for a signboard, shop sign, or billboard. Very common.
That shop's sign is very eye-catching.
Used for official signs that give instructions or warnings, like traffic signs, safety signs, etc.
Please follow the road signs.
Refers to a display or indication, often on electronic screens or as a notice. Can also mean 'indication' in a broader sense.
The train times are shown on the electronic display board.
Loanword from English, often used for signatures, autographs, or signals, but can also refer to signs in the sense of signboards or displays, especially in commercial contexts.
We put up a big sign in front of the store.
Movements or actions used to communicate a message without words.
A signal or sign made with a gesture, look, or sound to convey a message. Very common for non-verbal communication.
He gave a sign with his hand.
Gesture, bodily movement. Often used in the phrase 身振り手振り (gestures and hand movements).
Loanword for 'gesture'. Commonly used in casual conversation.
Sign language (specifically for the deaf community). Not a general 'sign'.
Something that shows that something else exists or is likely to happen, often abstract.
A sign, omen, or indication of something to come, often used for both positive and negative things.
There are signs of economic recovery.
An omen or portent, often used for natural phenomena or negative events.
A symptom or sign, often used in medical or formal contexts.
Also used for abstract signs or signals, like a sign of trouble or a sign from someone.
Physical evidence that something happened or exists.
Traces, marks, or vestiges left behind. Often used in formal or investigative contexts.
There were no signs of the culprit.
Evidence or traces, often used when something is conspicuously absent.
A mark, scar, or trace. More general and can be used for physical marks like footprints or scars.
The twelve signs of the zodiac.
English often uses 'signs of ~' where Japanese uses specific nouns like 兆し, 痕跡, or 形跡. Using サイン for everything can sound unnatural. Choose the word that matches the nuance: 兆し for future indications, 痕跡/形跡 for past traces.
看板 is for commercial or informational signboards. 標識 is for official regulatory signs (traffic, safety). 表示 is for electronic displays or indications. Use 看板 for a shop sign, 標識 for a stop sign, and 表示 for a digital screen showing information.
言葉が通じないので、身振りで伝えた。
Since we didn't share a language, I communicated with gestures.
ジェスチャーゲームをしよう。
Let's play charades.
She can use sign language.
地震の前兆かもしれない。
It might be a sign of an earthquake.
インフルエンザの徴候が出ている。
I'm showing signs of the flu.
That's a sign of danger.
誰かが入った形跡がある。
There are signs that someone entered.
There were signs of footprints in the snow.
十二宮占いが好きです。
I like zodiac sign astrology.