Safety Sign in Chinese
Can you read it?
Read time: 3 minutes
Today we’re breaking down a short safety sign in Chinese.
I see signs like this all the time in buildings and homes. Native speakers see signs like these every day.
Let’s get started.
Step 1: Listen & Read
Listen to the speaker reading out the sign and follow along with the characters & pinyin below. Listen to as many times as you like.
This may seem intimidating because you may not understand much initially, but don’t worry! This is to help you get used to the sounds. We’ll get into the translation in the next step.
Rén rén fánghuǒ jiā jiā píng'ān.
人人防火 家家平安。
人人防火 家家平安。
Huǒjǐng tái 119.
火警台119。
火警台119。
Dàdōng xiāofáng zhì
大东消防制
大東消防製
Step 2: English Translations
Read the English translations and vocabulary list and check how much you understood.
Rén rén fánghuǒ jiā jiā píng'ān.
人人防火 家家平安。
人人防火 家家平安。
When everyone (helps to) prevent fires, every house/home is safe
Huǒjǐng tái 119.
火警台119。
火警台119。
Fire station 119
Dàdōng xiāofáng zhì
大东消防制
大東消防製
Dadong Fire Department
Vocabulary List:
Access the full lesson with vocabulary lists, a study tracker, audio pronunciation, real video examples, flashcard review, and more here:
Step 3: Repetition
Most people stop after reading the translation, but they miss the most important step: repetition. This will help you improve your reading and speaking.
Read the characters out loud with the pinyin. Focus on getting the correct tones. Go back to the original audio in Step 1 if you need to hear it again.
Rén rén fánghuǒ jiā jiā píng'ān.
人人防火 家家平安。
人人防火 家家平安。
Huǒjǐng tái 119.
火警台119。
火警台119。
Dàdōng xiāofáng zhì
大东消防制
大東消防製
Step 4: Final Test
Bring things full circle and read the original text one more time without pinyin. This will prepare you for the real world.
How does it feel compared to when you first read it?
Congrats! You just read a real-world Chinese sign!
I used this simple but powerful 4-step method to help me get fluent in Mandarin, consume native content, and speak with locals confidently.
See you again next week for another real-world breakdown.
When you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help you:
The Language Learner OS: The all-in-one study system I used to learn fluent Chinese that combines vocab lists, flashcards, journals, goals & more.
The Monthly Signs: Access full lessons of real signs with vocab lists, audio pronunciation guides, real video examples, flashcard reviews and more!