Speak and Write Language Series
Unit III — 学习、工作和社区 · Unit III — Learning, Work, and Community
13

公共信息和通知

Volume II, Chapter 13: Public Information and Notices · Speak and Write Mandarin Chinese: Everyday Independence and Connected Communication

Chapter Overview and Learning Objectives

This chapter moves from workplace communication toward the kind of Mandarin you encounter in public spaces: signs, posted notices, building announcements, and short official messages. You will learn to read and interpret these texts, use formal vocabulary connected to rules and permissions, and recognize — but not yet produce — the passive marker 被 as it commonly appears in notices and short news-style headlines. The chapter also strengthens your ability to talk about what a sign or notice tells people to do.

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. Read and understand common public signs and posted notices.
  2. Explain in your own words what a notice instructs people to do or not do.
  3. Use formal vocabulary related to rules, permissions, and prohibitions.
  4. Recognize 被 in short notices and headlines and explain its basic meaning.
  5. Write a short notice or announcement for a building, class, or community space.

Communication Scenario

Several notices have appeared in your apartment building and at your school. You need to understand what they say, discuss them with a neighbor or classmate, and post a short notice of your own about a schedule change or a building rule.

  1. You will listen to two people discussing a notice posted in their building.
  2. You will read several short public notices and signs.
  3. You will write your own short notice announcing information or a rule.
  4. You will speak with a partner about a notice and what it requires people to do.
生词 — Core Vocabulary

Core Vocabulary

ChinesePinyinFunctionMeaningExample
通知tōngzhīnoun/verbnotice; to notify墙上贴了一张通知。
公告gōnggàonounpublic announcement学校发了一个公告。
规定guīdìngnoun/verbrule; regulation; to stipulate这是大楼的规定。
禁止jìnzhǐverbto prohibit这里禁止停车。
允许yǔnxǔverbto allow, to permit这里不允许吸烟。
注意zhùyìverbto pay attention to请注意安全。
维修wéixiūverb/nounto repair; maintenance电梯正在维修。
暂停zàntíngverbto temporarily stop这项服务暂停使用。
恢复huīfùverbto resume, to restore下星期一恢复正常。
居民jūmínnounresident通知本楼所有居民。
物业wùyènounproperty management有问题请联系物业。
违反wéifǎnverbto violate (a rule)违反规定的人会被罚款。
罚款fákuǎnnoun/verbfine; to fine乱停车要罚款。
安全ānquánnoun/adjectivesafety; safe请注意安全。
紧急jǐnjíadjectiveurgent, emergency紧急情况请拨打这个电话。

Receptive only: the notices and headline-style sentences in this chapter include the passive marker 被 (for example, 违反规定的人会被罚款). You are expected to recognize and understand sentences with 被 in this context, but you are not expected to build your own 被 sentences yet; that productive control is developed in a later volume.

发音和读写 — Pronunciation and Literacy Focus

Pronunciation and Literacy Focus

  • Tone pair practice: 禁止 (jìnzhǐ) combines two third-tone syllables; remember that the first syllable rises before the second, so it is pronounced closer to jín zhǐ in connected speech.
  • Formal reading rhythm: notices are read more slowly and evenly than casual conversation. Practice reading each notice in the Reading Practice section aloud with clear phrase breaks after each comma.
  • Typing: practice typing formal vocabulary such as 通知, 规定, and 禁止 through Pinyin input, paying attention to selecting the correct character among similar-sounding IME candidates.

No new handwriting characters are introduced beyond the productive inventory already scheduled through Chapter 12. This chapter's core vocabulary is a recognition and typing target; handwriting remains limited to the previously scheduled inventory.

语法 — Grammar and Sentence Patterns

Grammar and Sentence Patterns

1. Reading Public Instructions: 禁止, 请勿, and 允许

Public notices often use compact, formal patterns rather than full conversational sentences.

禁止 + verb — a strong prohibition, common on signs.
禁止停车。
Jìnzhǐ tíngchē.
No parking.

请勿 + verb — a more formal, polite way of saying "please do not."
请勿吸烟。
Qǐng wù xīyān.
Please do not smoke.

不允许 / 不可以 + verb — the conversational equivalent of a prohibition, used when explaining a rule to someone rather than posting it.
这里不允许带宠物。
Zhèlǐ bù yǔnxǔ dài chǒngwù.
Pets are not allowed here.

Notice that 禁止 and 请勿 are formal, written patterns typical of signs, while 不允许 and 不可以 are how you would explain the same rule out loud to a friend.

2. Describing Temporary Situations: 暂停 and 恢复

电梯暂停使用，下星期一恢复正常。
Diàntī zàntíng shǐyòng, xià xīngqīyī huīfù zhèngcháng.
The elevator is temporarily out of service; it will return to normal next Monday.

3. Recognizing 被 in Notices and Headlines (Receptive Only)

You will see 被 in some formal notices and short headline-style sentences. 被 introduces the person or thing that performed an action, when the sentence's main focus is the person or thing affected by the action.

违反规定的人会被罚款。
Wéifǎn guīdìng de rén huì bèi fákuǎn.
People who violate the rules will be fined.

For now, focus on recognizing the pattern subject + 被 + (agent) + verb and understanding its meaning when you read it. You are not yet expected to form new sentences with 被 on your own; this control develops later in the series.

4. Basic Notice Structure

A short public notice typically states who it is for, what has changed or is required, and who to contact with questions.

通知全体居民：本星期六上午电梯暂停使用，用于维修。请大家注意安全，走楼梯。有问题请联系物业。
Tōngzhī quántǐ jūmín: běn xīngqīliù shàngwǔ diàntī zàntíng shǐyòng, yòngyú wéixiū. Qǐng dàjiā zhùyì ānquán, zǒu lóutī. Yǒu wèntí qǐng liánxì wùyè.
Notice to all residents: the elevator will be out of service this Saturday morning for maintenance. Please pay attention to safety and use the stairs. Contact property management with any questions.

对话 — Model Dialogue

Model Dialogue

Context: two neighbors reading a notice posted in the lobby, semi-formal register

王阿姨：你看到楼下的通知了吗？
小刘：看到了。电梯这星期六要维修，暂停使用。
王阿姨：那我们星期六得走楼梯了。
小刘：对，通知上说，请大家注意安全。
王阿姨：星期天能恢复吗？
小刘：应该可以。通知说星期一早上恢复正常。
王阿姨：好，那我星期六尽量少出门。
小刘：有问题的话，通知上说可以联系物业。

Aunt Wang: Did you see the notice downstairs? Xiao Liu: Yes. The elevator is going to be repaired this Saturday and will be out of service. Aunt Wang: Then we'll have to use the stairs on Saturday. Xiao Liu: Right, the notice says to pay attention to safety. Aunt Wang: Will it be back by Sunday? Xiao Liu: It should be. The notice says it will return to normal Monday morning. Aunt Wang: Okay, then I'll try to go out as little as possible on Saturday. Xiao Liu: If there's a problem, the notice says you can contact property management.

练习 — Guided Practice

Guided Practice

1. Choose 禁止, 请勿, or 不允许 to complete each sentence appropriately for its context:

  1. （sign on a door）＿吸烟。
  2. （explaining a rule to a friend）这里＿带宠物。
  3. （sign in a parking area）＿停车。

2. Complete each sentence with 暂停 or 恢复:

  1. 电梯这星期六＿使用。
  2. 星期一早上＿正常。

3. Read the sentence 违反规定的人会被罚款 and answer in English: who is affected by the action, and what happens to them?

听力练习 — Listening Practice

Listening Practice

Listening script for independent use. Read aloud slowly, then at a natural pace, or have a fluent speaker record it.

对话 — Conversation:
男：你看到通知了吗？停车场这星期不能用了。
女：为什么？
男：通知上说，停车场正在维修，暂停使用。
女：那我们的车停在哪儿？
男：物业说可以停在旁边的街上，可是不允许停太久。
女：什么时候恢复？
男：应该是下星期一。

QuestionAnswer
停车场为什么暂停使用？______
车可以停在哪儿？______
停车场什么时候恢复使用？______
口语练习 — Speaking Practice

Speaking Practice

控制性练习 — Controlled practice

With a partner, take turns reading a short notice aloud and then explaining in your own words, in Mandarin, what it tells people to do or not do.

交际任务 — Communicative task: 楼里的通知

Imagine a notice has been posted in your building. Explain it to a partner who has not seen it: what changed, what people should do, and who to contact with questions. Then switch roles with a different notice.

独立练习 — Solo alternative

Record yourself reading one of the notices from this chapter aloud, then explaining its meaning in your own words in Mandarin.

阅读练习 — Reading Practice

Reading Practice

Read the three short notices, then answer the comprehension questions.

通知全体居民：本星期六上午八点到十二点，电梯暂停使用，用于维修，星期一早上恢复正常。请大家注意安全，走楼梯。有问题请联系物业。

请勿在楼道内吸烟。违反规定的人会被罚款。

紧急情况请拨打物业电话：010-1234-5678。非紧急问题请在工作时间联系物业办公室。
Notice to all residents: this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., the elevator will be out of service for maintenance and will return to normal Monday morning. Please pay attention to safety and use the stairs. Contact property management with any questions. — Please do not smoke in the hallways. People who violate this rule will be fined. — For emergencies, call the property management line: 010-1234-5678. For non-emergency matters, contact the property management office during working hours.
  1. 电梯星期六几点到几点暂停使用？
  2. 楼道里可以吸烟吗？如果有人吸烟，会怎么样？
  3. 紧急情况应该怎么联系物业？
写作练习 — Writing Workshop

Writing Workshop

Write a short public notice (five to eight sentences) for your building, school, or class, announcing information or a rule.

写作任务 — Writing task: Type your notice with Pinyin input. Your notice must include:

  1. A clear audience statement, such as 通知全体....
  2. A description of what has changed or is required, using 暂停, 恢复, 规定, or 禁止/请勿.
  3. A safety or courtesy reminder, using 注意 or a related phrase.
  4. Contact information or next steps for readers with questions.
  5. Consistent, formal notice register throughout, avoiding casual conversational phrases.

修改清单 — Editing checklist:

  • 禁止/请勿 and 不允许 are not mixed within the same notice inconsistently.
  • 暂停 and 恢复 are used correctly to show a temporary change and its end.
  • The notice states its audience and purpose within the first two sentences.
  • Chinese punctuation (，。？！：) is used correctly throughout.

Culture and Communication

Culture Note — Public notices and shared spaces

In many Mandarin-speaking residential and institutional settings, printed notices posted in lobbies, elevators, and stairwells are a common way of communicating with residents, students, or staff about schedule changes, maintenance, and rules. These notices tend to use a formal, impersonal register — third-person statements, formal vocabulary, and compact instructions — rather than the conversational tone used when explaining the same information to a friend. This pattern is common but not universal, and the exact wording and level of formality can vary by building, institution, and region.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Using 禁止 in casual spoken explanation: 禁止 and 请勿 belong on signs and formal notices; when explaining a rule out loud, 不允许 or 不可以 sounds more natural.
  • Confusing 暂停 with 停止: 暂停 specifically implies a temporary pause with an expected return to normal, unlike a general stop.
  • Trying to produce new 被 sentences at this stage: focus on recognizing and understanding 被 in notices; productive control of 被 sentences is developed later in the series.
  • Omitting the audience or contact information in a written notice: a notice without a clear audience statement or a way to ask questions can confuse readers.

Chapter Summary

This chapter introduced vocabulary and patterns for reading and writing public notices and signs, including 禁止, 请勿, 不允许, 暂停, and 恢复. You practiced reading and explaining notices, discussing a posted notice with a partner, and recognizing — without yet producing — the passive marker 被 in formal and headline-style sentences. You also wrote your own short public notice.

Chapter Review

部分 A — 语法复习 (Grammar Review)

1. Choose 禁止/请勿 or 不允许, depending on whether the sentence is a posted sign or a spoken explanation:

  1. （sign）＿停车。

2. Complete with 暂停 or 恢复:

  1. 电梯这星期六＿使用，星期一＿正常。

部分 B — 阅读 (Reading)

1. Return to the notices above and answer:

  1. 如果有人在楼道里吸烟，会发生什么？

部分 C — 写作 (Writing)

1. Write your five-to-eight-sentence public notice, following the Writing Workshop steps and editing checklist above.

部分 D — 口语 (Speaking)

1. Complete the 楼里的通知 explanation task with a partner or recording.

Recognition Check

Say each of the following aloud and confirm accurate tones and connected phrasing: 请勿吸烟, 这里禁止停车, 电梯暂停使用, 星期一恢复正常. If any of these feel uncertain, review the Grammar and Sentence Patterns section before continuing to Chapter 14.

Practical Performance Task

Chapter 13 Performance Task

楼里的通知 — Notice in the Building

Complete the following four connected tasks.

  1. Listen to the conversation and complete the listening table above.
  2. Read the three notices and answer the comprehension questions.
  3. Write your own short public notice, following the Writing Workshop steps and editing checklist.
  4. Speak through the 楼里的通知 explanation task with a partner, recording, or instructor.

Answer Key

Guided Practice

  1. a. 请勿 (or 禁止)   b. 不允许   c. 禁止
  2. a. 暂停   b. 恢复
  3. The people affected are those who violate the rules; what happens to them is that they will be fined.

Listening Practice

  • Because the parking lot is being repaired/under maintenance.
  • On the street next to the building, but not for too long.
  • Next Monday.

Reading Practice

  1. From 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  2. No, smoking is not allowed in the hallways; anyone who does will be fined.
  3. By calling the property management emergency line, 010-1234-5678.

Chapter Review — 部分 A

  1. 禁止 (or 请勿)
  2. 暂停 / 恢复

Chapter Review — 部分 B

违反规定的人会被罚款。 (The person will be fined for violating the rule.)

Looking Ahead

现在你会做什么 — What you can do now

You can read and understand common public signs and notices, explain what a notice requires people to do, use formal vocabulary related to rules and permissions, recognize 被 in notices and headlines, and write a short public notice of your own.

继续前进：第十四章 — Continuing on: Chapter 14

Chapter 14, 社区、环境和意见 (Community, Environment, and Opinion), continues Unit III by introducing reason-result structures, conditions with 如果, and vocabulary for discussing local issues and expressing opinions.