信号
Meaning in Englishtraffic light, signal
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
信号 means a signal or sign that conveys information or instructions. It is commonly used for traffic lights and for signals in electronics or communications that indicate status or intent.
Main meanings
- Traffic signal at road intersections that controls vehicles and pedestrians.
- Electrical or communications signal indicating status, presence, or instruction in devices, systems, or networks.
- Figurative cue or indication of intent or emotion in social or behavioral contexts.
How to use it
Used across traffic, technology, and everyday speech. In formal registers it appears in engineering and public safety contexts; in casual language, 信号 is used to refer to signs or cues; typical constructions include 信号を守る, 信号を送る, 信号機, and concepts like 合図 that relate to signaling.
Variants and close terms
- 合図 (あいず, aizu) – cue, signal
- サイン (サイン, sain) – sign (loanword)
- 兆候 (ちょうこう, chōkō) – omen, indication
- 信号機 (しんごうき, shingōki) – traffic signal
Composition
- 信: trust, belief;
- 号: sign, symbol, number;
- Together they form a concept of a sign that conveys information to guide actions.
Etymology
信 shin + 号 gō, a Sino-Japanese compound formed from two kanji whose on'yomi readings combine to name a sign that conveys information; the element 信 contributes the sense of trust or fidelity, while 号 contributes the notion of a mark or symbol, yielding a word for a signal.
Word class
noun (名詞)