About
The character 勿 functions as a negative imperative particle, meaning "do not" or "must not". Structurally, it appears as a unified form, but its origin is as a pictograph of a flag or pennant with three streamers, used for military signaling. Its current prohibitive sense is a phonetic loan; the spoken word for the flag sounded similar to the word for prohibition. Since abstract grammatical concepts are difficult to depict, this character was borrowed for the negative command, and its original meaning related to the physical flag has faded from common use.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
请勿大声喧哗。
请勿在此处停车。
请勿触摸展品。
请勿打扰，他正在休息。
过期药品请勿服用。
室内场所请勿吸烟。
此事至关重要，切勿掉以轻心。
前行道路施工，车辆请勿通行。