Sign & signal
Thảo luận
Sign :Dấu hiệu (cụ thể ,chủ yếu nhận biết bằng mắt.)
signal :Tín hiệu (trừu tượng ,có thể nhận biết bằng nhiều giác quan ,chú ý đến thông điệp )
Ví dụ :
I am sure that my cell phone is out of order because it shows the sign of being unable to send out signals.
More examples:
Sign
1.a written or printed mark which has a standard meaning:
+ and - are mathematical signs.
£ is the sign for the British pound.
2.a notice giving information, directions, a warning, etc:
a road sign a shop sign
3.a movement of the body which gives information or an instruction:
She pointed to her watch as a sign that it was getting late and she wanted to leave.
She made/gave a sign to her husband to stop talking.
The priest made the sign of the cross (= made the shape of a cross by moving his hand between four points on his chest) when he entered the church.
4.something showing that something else exists or might happen or exist in the future:
His inability to handle the situation is a sure sign of weakness.
[+ that] The fact that he's eating more is a sign that he's feeling better.
I've searched for my hat, but there's no sign of it anywhere (= I can't find it).
There was no sign of life in the building (= there seemed to be no one in it).
Billy's work at school has shown signs of improvement this year.
There is every sign that/All the signs are that the worst is over.
(HD chỉ dẫn chức năng danh từ)
Signal
noun[C]
1 an action, movement or sound which gives information, a message, a warning or an order:
When she gave (them) the signal, they all cheered.
[+ that] The firework was a signal that the festival had started.
[+ to infinitive] The police officer gave us a signal to stop.
The signal for a race to start is often the firing of a gun.
2.something which shows that something else exists or is likely to happen:
The poor result is a clear signal of his deteriorating confidence.
The changing colour of the leaves on the trees is a signal that it will soon be autumn.
(HD chỉ dẫn chức năng danh từ)
Friends’discussions
=>A1 (USA )
A sign is any trace or evidence; a signal is a sight or sound with a specific meaning.
With telephones, for example, a "busy signal" indicates that the other telephone is in use and cannot be interrupted.
A sign can also be a board with a message printed on it, but that meaning does not apply here.
=>A2 (England)
I think a signal implies movement whereas a sign is something more static, hence the difference between traffic sign (an advice, warning, etc.) and a traffic signal which would more likely refer to the traffic lights which change (hopefully!).
You signal something by waving your arms whereas you sign something with your hand, both are movements, but the latter leaves a permanent trace.