人の乗降を除く

I saw this sign in Ikebukuro 池袋, Tokyo 東京. I was enamored with 池袋 after watching the anime series DURARARA! It was a fun place and I wish I could have spent more time there. But it was nothing like DURARARA!, and usually places are never as magical as TV and movies make them out to be.

7 - 9

人 (ひと) - People, Person

の - Possessive Particle

乗降 (じょうこう) - Getting on and off

を - Noun to Verb Linking Particle

除く (のぞく) - Remove, Eliminate, Exclude

日曜 (にちよう) - Sunday

休日 (きゅうじつ) - Holidays

を

除く

Translation: No Entry 7-9, Excluding People Getting Off and On, Excluding Sundays and Holidays

I'm projecting the meaning of the X means No Entry from 7-9 based on previous experience with signs like these in America and other places. If I had more of the picture to see where you weren't allowed to turn into between 7-9, it might make more sense. This was near the train station so, again projecting meaning, it probably has to do with 7-9 being the busiest time of day for commuters and they they don't want cars driving through there clogging up the walkway or running people over.

The 漢字--> 除 is interesting because it can also be read as よ and used as 除けるよける meaning to avoid, so during COVID there are probably a lot of signs that say 人を除けて！- Avoid People!

Although they probably actually write it as 避けて as this 漢字-->避 seems to be the preferred 漢字 read as さ over the use of 除. And can be used to make phrases such as:

問題を避ける。(もんだい) - To avoid a problem

署を避ける。(しょ) - To go away for the Summer

Or this death by 漢字 favorite:

人間は誰しも死を避けられない。

And this one is your homework 宿題 (しゅくだい) for the weekend 週末 (しゅうまつ). Translate it and leave it in the comments or email deathbykanji@gmail.com 

じゃあ、今日終わり。またね！

ジョシュア