警示 (jǐngshì)

警示 means to warn or to serve as a warning, and is commonly used in safety, legal, and educational contexts to alert people to dangers or consequences.

Meanings

[verb] to warn; to caution; to alert
[noun] a warning; a caution; an alert

Example Sentences

这个案例对其他企业具有重要的警示意义。 Zhège ànlì duì qítā qǐyè jùyǒu zhòngyào de jǐngshì yìyì. This case has important warning significance for other enterprises.

政府在危险路段设置了警示标志。 Zhèngfǔ zài wēixiǎn lùduàn shèzhì le jǐngshì biāozhì. The government erected warning signs on dangerous road sections.

这场灾难警示我们要重视自然保护。 Zhè chǎng zāinàn jǐngshì wǒmen yào zhòngshì zìrán bǎohù. This disaster warns us to take nature conservation seriously.

他的失败经历是对年轻人的一次警示。 Tā de shībài jīnglì shì duì niánqīng rén de yīcì jǐngshì. His experience of failure is a warning to young people.

医生向患者发出了健康警示。 Yīshēng xiàng huànzhě fāchū le jiànkāng jǐngshì. The doctor issued a health warning to the patient.

香烟包装上印有警示图片，提醒人们戒烟。 Xiāngyān bāozhuāng shàng yìn yǒu jǐngshì túpiàn, tíxǐng rénmen jièyān. Warning images are printed on cigarette packaging to remind people to quit smoking.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
警示标志 (jǐngshì biāozhì)	warning sign
警示意义 (jǐngshì yìyì)	cautionary significance
发出警示 (fāchū jǐngshì)	to issue a warning
警示教育 (jǐngshì jiàoyù)	cautionary education
警示作用 (jǐngshì zuòyòng)	deterrent/warning function

Usage Notes

警示 is more formal and serious than 警告 (jǐnggào). While 警告 can be a direct personal rebuke or official reprimand, 警示 tends to have a broader educational or societal function -- it warns people collectively about a type of risk or consequence. It is common in government announcements, safety campaigns, and moral/educational commentary.

The phrase 具有警示意义 (jùyǒu jǐngshì yìyì, "has cautionary significance") is a fixed expression frequently used in news analysis.

Memory Hook

警 (alert/police) + 示 (to show/indicate): showing an alert -- a visible warning signal.