Signs

1. ඇතුල් වීම

   athul vīma

   Entrance

   Usage

   Posted at entrances of stations, government offices, temples, and museums; the English line reads "ENTRANCE" or "ENTRY"

2. පිටවීම

   piṭavīma

   Exit

   Usage

   Posted at exits of stations, airports, and buildings; the English line reads "EXIT"

3. හදිසි පිටවීම

   hadisi piṭavīma

   Emergency Exit

   Usage

   Green emergency-exit sign with a running-man pictogram; the English line reads "EMERGENCY EXIT"

4. විවෘතයි

   vivṛthayi

   Open (door sign)

   Usage

   Shop-door flip sign; in Sri Lanka the card is usually English "OPEN" only, with this Sinhala wording seen mainly at market stalls and rural shops

5. වසා ඇත

   vasā æta

   Closed (door sign)

   Usage

   Marks a closed shop or facility; flip cards are usually English "CLOSED", while this Sinhala wording appears on notices and hand-written shutter signs

6. සේවය සඳහා විවෘතයි

   sēvaya san̆dahā vivṛthayi

   Open for business

   Usage

   Board or notice at banks, post offices, government counters, and shops stating the place is currently open — more explanatory than an "OPEN" flip card

7. තාවකාලිකව වසා ඇත

   thāvakālikava vasā æta

   Temporarily closed

   Usage

   Sri Lanka has no fixed equivalent of Japanese "junbichuu"; this is the notice used for a temporary closure, with English "TEMPORARILY CLOSED" alongside

8. පිරිමි

   pirimi

   Men

   Usage

   Marks the men's public toilet; the English line most often reads "GENTS", sometimes "MEN"

9. කාන්තා

   kānthā

   Women

   Usage

   Marks the women's public toilet; the English line most often reads "LADIES", sometimes "WOMEN"

10. ඇතුල් වීම තහනම්

    athul vīma thahanam

    No Entry

    Usage

    Posted on restricted doors, military areas, and worksites; the English line reads "NO ENTRY" or "NO ADMITTANCE"

11. දුම්පානය තහනම්

    dumpānaya thahanam

    No Smoking

    Usage

    Posted at stations, buses, government offices, and restaurants; smoking in public places is banned and fined in Sri Lanka, and the English line reads "NO SMOKING"

12. දුම්පාන කලාපය

    dumpāna kalāpaya

    Smoking Area

    Usage

    Designated smoking area at airports and hotels; in practice the sign is almost always the English "SMOKING AREA", with this Sinhala wording rarely printed

13. පඩිපෙළ

    paḍipeḷa

    Stairs

    Usage

    Directional sign pointing to stairs in stations and buildings; the English line reads "STAIRS" or "STAIRCASE"

14. තල්ලු කරන්න

    thallu karanna

    Push

    Usage

    Door sticker; in Sri Lanka these are usually English "PUSH" only, with the Sinhala wording seen mainly in government offices and hospitals

15. අදින්න

    adinna

    Pull

    Usage

    Door sticker; the English "PULL" is what is normally printed

16. වැඩ කටයුතු සිදු වෙමින් පවතී

    væḍa kaṭayuthu sidu vemin pavathī

    Work in progress

    Usage

    Posted at road works, construction sites, and blocked passages; the English line reads "WORK IN PROGRESS", "ROAD WORK AHEAD", or "MEN AT WORK"

17. ක්‍රියා විරහිතයි

    kriyā virahithayi

    Out of order

    Usage

    Posted on lifts, ATMs, and toilet stalls; in practice a hand-written English "OUT OF ORDER" or "NOT WORKING" card is far more common

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