Speaking • Emotions & Reactions
Warning Someone in Mandarin Chinese
From an urgent 小心！ to careful cautionary advice, this page covers the full range of warning phrases in Mandarin — general warnings, danger signals, sensible caution advice, and how to respond when someone warns you.
Giving Warnings (General)
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
小心！ | xiǎoxīn! | Watch out! / Be careful! |
注意！ | zhùyì! | Attention! / Watch out! (slightly more neutral) |
当心！ | dāngxīn! | Be careful! / Watch out! (urgent, immediate) |
小心点 | xiǎoxīn diǎn | Be a little careful (gentler advice) |
你要小心 | nǐ yào xiǎoxīn | You should be careful |
这很危险 | zhè hěn wēixiǎn | This is very dangerous |
别这样做 | bié zhèyàng zuò | Don't do it this way / Don't do that |
你最好不要… | nǐ zuìhǎo bú yào… | You'd better not… (strong advice) |
Danger Warnings
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
危险！ | wēixiǎn! | Danger! |
快走！ | kuài zǒu! | Move quickly! / Get out of here! |
离这里远点 | lí zhèlǐ yuǎn diǎn | Stay away from here |
不能进去 | bù néng jìn qù | You cannot go in |
禁止入内 | jìnzhǐ rù nèi | No entry (formal sign/warning, Taiwan: same) |
不要触摸 | bú yào chùmō | Do not touch |
高压危险 | gāoyā wēixiǎn | High voltage / electrical danger |
前面有施工 | qiánmiàn yǒu shīgōng | There's construction ahead |
Cautious Advice
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
你要小心那个人 | nǐ yào xiǎoxīn nàge rén | Watch out for that person |
不要随便相信陌生人 | bùyào suíbiàn xiāngxìn mòshēng rén | Don't easily trust strangers |
出门注意安全 | chūmén zhùyì ānquán | Be safe when you go out |
贵重物品要收好 | guìzhòng wùpǐn yào shōu hǎo | Keep your valuables safe |
这个地方不太安全 | zhège dìfang bù tài ānquán | This place is not very safe |
最近骗局很多 | zuìjìn piànjú hěn duō | There are a lot of scams recently |
开车注意看路 | kāichē zhùyì kàn lù | Watch the road carefully when driving |
天黑了，早点回家 | tiān hēi le, zǎo diǎn huí jiā | It's getting dark — head home early |
Responding to Warnings
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
好的，我知道了 | hǎo de, wǒ zhīdào le | Okay, I understand / got it |
谢谢提醒 | xièxiè tíxǐng | Thanks for the reminder |
我会注意的 | wǒ huì zhùyì de | I'll pay attention / be careful |
啊，真的吗？谢谢告诉我 | ā, zhēn de ma? xièxiè gàosu wǒ | Oh, really? Thank you for telling me |
没事，我小心点就好 | méi shì, wǒ xiǎoxīn diǎn jiù hǎo | It's fine, I'll just be more careful |
好，我不去了 | hǎo, wǒ bù qù le | Okay, I won't go then |
Usage Notes
All three mean 'be careful / watch out', but with slightly different nuances. 小心 is the most versatile everyday word. 当心 tends to be more urgent — used when danger is immediate. 注意 is closer to 'pay attention' and is also used on public signs.
Warnings in Chinese are not always alarming — many are expressions of care. A parent saying 出门注意安全 (be safe going out) or 天黑了，早点回家 (it's getting dark, head home early) is showing affection and concern rather than alarm. Context determines whether a warning is urgent or loving.
Chinese public spaces use 禁止 (jìnzhǐ, 'forbidden') for hard prohibitions: 禁止吸烟 (no smoking), 禁止入内 (no entry). 请勿 (qǐng wù) is a softer 'please do not': 请勿触摸 (please do not touch). Recognising these patterns will help you navigate signs across mainland China and Taiwan.