How do you say "sign" in Japanese?

標識

hyōshiki

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "sign" is 標識 (hyōshiki).

Listen to the pronunciation:

Free Japanese learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games

Pronunciation

標識 is written using kanji. Romanised as hyōshiki, it sounds roughly like "hyoh-shee-kee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Hyōshiki combines mark or symbol (標) plus show or indicate (識). Hyōshiki is the formal term for signs, signals, and markers.

Example sentence

部屋に標識があります。

Heya ni Hyōshiki ga arimasu.

There is a sign in the room.

Test your Japanese knowledge in our free browser games.

How to remember 標識

Hyō (mark) shiki (indicate). A sign indicates or marks a message. It is used for road signs, shop signs, and all informational markers.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese nouns.

Questions about 標識

How do you pronounce 標識?

標識 is romanised as hyōshiki. Say it roughly like "hyoh-shee-kee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 標識 formal or casual?

標識 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 標識 written in Japanese?

標識 is written using kanji. Hyōshiki combines mark or symbol (標) plus show or indicate (識).

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Sign" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.

Noun Town language-learning game on PC, Mac and VR

The full experience

Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR

These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.

See the full game ▶

Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town