Lesson L1N4N4 Reading⏱ 20 min

Notices and Short Messages

Read N4-level signs, emails, and short notices (200–350 characters). Extract key information: who, what, when, where.

🎯 Goal: To successfully comprehend the main points and extract key information from simple notices, public signs, and short personal or business messages written in basic Japanese.

Introduction

Welcome to this lesson on reading notices and short messages, an essential skill for navigating daily life in Japan. At the JLPT N4 level, you will encounter various written communications in public spaces, workplaces, and residential areas. This lesson focuses on understanding the common formats of public announcements, apartment bulletin boards, short emails, and text messages. You will learn how to quickly identify key information such as dates, times, instructions, and warnings, even when faced with some unfamiliar kanji. Mastering these reading strategies will significantly boost your confidence in handling real-world Japanese communications.

Lesson Content

Master N4 Japanese: Reading Notices and Short Messages (お知らせと短いメッセージ)

In everyday life in Japan and on the JLPT N4 exam, you will constantly encounter notices (お知らせ - oshirase) and short messages (短いメッセージ). These texts are concise, polite, and use specific grammar patterns to convey rules, schedules, and requests.

This guide will teach you how to decode these messages like a pro.

1. Key Kanji & Signboard Vocabulary

Before diving into grammar, you must recognize these high-frequency N4 kanji combinations often found on posters and doors:

Kanji	Hiragana	English Meaning	Tutor's Tip
禁止	きんし	Prohibited / Forbidden	Look for this on red signs!
使用中	しようちゅう	In Use	〜中 (chū) means "currently doing..."
本日休業	ほんじつきゅうぎょう	Closed Today	Common on shop doors.
無料 / 有料	むりょう / ゆうりょう	Free / Charged	Essential for services.

💡 Kanji Stroke Order Focus: 禁 (Prohibit)

To write 禁 (13 strokes), start with the "forest" radical (林) on top, followed by the "altar" radical (示) below.

Stroke Order: Left tree (4 strokes) $\rightarrow$ Right tree (4 strokes) $\rightarrow$ Bottom altar (5 strokes).

2. Essential Grammar Patterns for Notices

Pattern A: 〜について (Regarding / About...)

This pattern introduces the topic of the notice. It is placed directly after a noun.

$$\text{Noun} + \text{について}$$

Example:
図書館の利用について (りょかんのりようについて)
Regarding the use of the library.

Pattern B: 〜ようにしてください (Please make sure to...)

In public notices, direct commands like 〜てください can sound too blunt. Instead, writers use 〜ようにしてください to request a habitual action or a firm rule politely.

$$\text{Verb (Dictionary / Nai-form)} + \text{ようにしてください}$$

Example 1 (Positive):
ゴミは自分で持ち帰るようにしてください。
Please make sure to take your garbage home with you.
Example 2 (Negative):
夜10時以降は、大きな音を立てないようにしてください。
Please make sure not to make loud noises after 10 PM.

Pattern C: 〜て / 〜ず (Connecting Instructions)

To save space, short messages link clauses using the Te-form or the Zu-form (the written form of Nai-de, meaning "without doing").

Example (using 〜ず):
走らず、静かに歩いてください。
Without running, please walk quietly (Please do not run; walk quietly).

3. Real-World Practice: Reading a Notice

Analyze the office memo below. Can you spot the key grammar points?

【エレベーター点検のお知らせ】

日時： 11月10日（水） 10:00 〜 12:00
内容： エレベーターの安全点検を行います。

点検中はエレベーターを使用することができません。
階段を使うようにしてください。

ご不便をおかけしますが、ご理解とご協力をお願いいたします。

🔍 Breakdown & Translation:

点検 (てんけん - Inspection): "Notice of Elevator Inspection."
使用することができません: "You cannot use [the elevator] during the inspection." (N4 Grammar: Verb-dictionary + ことができません).
使うようにしてください: "Please make sure to use the stairs."
ご協力をお願いいたします (ごきょうりょくをおねがいいたします): "We humbly request your cooperation." (Keigo/Polite N4 formula).

Tutor's Wrap-Up Challenge

Next time you read an N4 notice, don't translate word-for-word.

Identify the Topic (〜について).
Identify the Action requested (〜ようにしてください).
Identify the Time/Date constraints.

Mastering these three elements will guarantee your success in the JLPT N4 reading section! がんばってください！

Exercises