No Loitering or Sleeping in the Station!

A seemingly simple sign in the local train station conceals a couple of juicy words to learn. No loitering or sleeping inside the station premises!

警告　駅構内での寝泊まりや居すわり、これに伴う飲酒・喫煙行為などを禁じます。このような方は、即刻駅構内から退去していただきます。

けいこく　えきこうないでの　ねとまりや　いすわり、これにともなう　いんしゅ・きつえん　こういなどを　きんじます。このような　かたは、　そっこく　えきこうないから　たいきょ　していただきます。

Notice: Sleeping, loitering, smoking and drinking within the station is forbidden. Anyone found doing such actions will be immediately escorted from the station premises.

Most of this sign is rather standard Japanese, but a couple of words that stand out as somewhat unusual are 寝泊まり and 居座り. Literally translated, they appear as ‘sleeping and staying’ and ‘existing and sitting’, and are used to refer to actions where the person is occupying a space.

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