How to say “Do not disturb” in 12 languages
Typical office signage includes many phrases that we have come to accept as standard in the work environment. Certain phrases, especially those related to safety, are often translated into graphic images to ensure they are understood by all, regardless of potential language barriers that may exist.
Examples may include “Fire Exit”, “High Voltage”, “No Smoking”, “Toxic Material”, “Flammable” and “Radioactive”. We are conditioned to know what these icons represent when we see them.
Other office sign phrases, however, do not have a standard representation of an iconic image assigned to them. If the work environment hosts multicultural visitors, important signs in the office may need to be translated into commonly used languages to ensure that the messages are taken into account.
Note that if you are replacing one small character with one that will include different translations of that phrase, the new character will likely take up significantly more space. You may need to change the location of the existing sign to make room for the new, larger one.
One such phrase that is ubiquitous in most work environments is that of “Do not disturb.” The Do Not Disturb sign can be seen in many situations, but usually has no common graphic representation. Some places that require a Do Not Disturb sign may include conference or meeting rooms, research labs, dark rooms, film studios, recording studios, interview rooms, and executive offices.
If you need a multicultural office sign for the common phrase “Do not disturb,” here are 12 translations to get you started.
English: Do not disturb
English: Do not disturb
English: Do not disturb
English: Do not disturb
English: Do not disturb
Italian: Do not disturb
Polish: do not disturb
English: Do not disturb
English: Do not disturb
Latin: Operor non perago
Swahili: Do not disturb me
English: Do not disturb
Of course, the languages you choose for your office signage will largely depend on the employees and visitors who visit your site. If you are unsure of the most popular languages used on your site, have all visitors and employees fill out a very short form upon arrival at the workplace for a specified period of time. A week is often enough for a survey of this kind. Once you have a sufficient number of forms to analyze, you will be able to determine the languages into which you will need to translate your office signage.
#disturb #languages