推
push
A door action.
Mandarin guided learning
Read doors and warning signs
You need to know what action a sign tells you to take.
Picture the idea
Some labels are one character: 推 = push; 拉 = pull. Learn full warning phrases too. A familiar character inside an unfamiliar warning does not establish that it is safe to proceed.
Useful words
拉
pull
The opposite door action.
禁止
prohibited
A warning starter.
入内
enter inside
In 禁止入内: do not enter.
小心
be careful
A caution starter.
地滑
slippery ground
小心地滑 = caution: slippery floor.
可以进去
may go inside
A permission question when followed by 吗.
Read the display
| 标志 · sign | 位置 · example location |
|---|---|
推 push | 门 door |
拉 pull | 门 door |
禁止入内 no entry | 通道 passageway |
小心地滑 caution: slippery floor | 地面 floor surface |
Find the information
Which sign means you should not enter?
- 拉
- 小心地滑
- 禁止入内
Answer and explanation
禁止入内
禁止 = prohibited; 入内 = enter inside. Together it forbids entry.
Build your request
May + enter + question. Ask staff when permission is uncertain.
可以进去吗？
May I go inside?
The sentence pieces
可以
may
进去
go inside
吗
yes-no question
Understand the reply
不可以。
No, that is not allowed.
What does this reply mean?
- You may enter.
- You may not enter.
- The floor is wet.
Answer and explanation
You may not enter.
No, that is not allowed.
好的。
Okay.
Use it in another situation
Practice identifying 推 and 拉 without translation, then read the complete warning. If a real warning is unclear, stop and ask instead of guessing from a fragment.