How do you say "sign" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "sign" is 標識 (hyōshiki). It is a noun pronounced "hyoh-shee-kee".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

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

Example sentence

部屋に標識があります。

Heya ni Hyōshiki ga arimasu.

There is a sign in the room.

Usage notes

Hyōshiki (標識) means sign in Japanese. This noun describes a feature or object found in indoor or outdoor environments.

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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. Kanji characters carry the core meaning; any hiragana or katakana that follow show grammatical endings.

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.