That Sign Is Not Saying Please Be Careful. Japanese Has a Way of Saying No Without the Word No.
To say Please refrain from eating while walking. in Japanese, say 食べ歩きはご遠慮ください (tabearuki wa go-enryo kudasai).
It looks like a gentle request. It is not a request. Once you can read this one phrase, a whole class of Japanese signs stops being polite noise.
食べ歩きはご遠慮ください
tabearuki wa go-enryo kudasai
Please refrain from eating while walking.
In this video
- 食べ歩きはご遠慮ください。 tabearuki wa go-enryo kudasai. Please refrain from eating while walking.
- 「ご遠慮ください」は、やわらかい言い方です。でも、意味は「だめ」です。 "go-enryo kudasai" wa, yawarakai iikata desu. demo, imi wa "dame" desu. 「ご遠慮ください」 is a soft way of saying it. But what it means is: no.
- 店の中での写真撮影はご遠慮ください。 mise no naka de no shashin satsuei wa go-enryo kudasai. Please refrain from taking photos inside the shop.
- 車内での通話はご遠慮ください。 shanai de no tsūwa wa go-enryo kudasai. Please refrain from phone calls on the train.
- 「禁止」より、ずっとていねいですね。でも、意味は同じです。 "kinshi" yori, zutto teinei desu ne. demo, imi wa onaji desu. Much politer than 「禁止」, forbidden. But it means exactly the same thing.
- 「ご遠慮ください」と書いてあったら、やめておきましょう。 "go-enryo kudasai" to kaite attara, yamete okimashō. If it says 「ご遠慮ください」, best not to.
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