A bilingual sign (or, by extension, a multilingual sign) is the representation on a panel (sign, usually a traffic sign, a safety sign, an informational sign, or a commercial sign) of texts in more than one language. The use of bilingual signs is usually reserved for situations where there is legally-administered bilingualism (in bilingual regions or at national borders) or where there is a relevant touristic or commercial interest (airports, rail stations, ports, border checkpoints, tourist attractions, international itineraries, international institutions, etc.)
Bilingual signs are widely-used in regions whose native languages do not use the Latin alphabet; such signs generally include transliteration of toponyms and optional translation of complementary texts (often into English). Beyond bilingualism, there is a general tendency toward the substitution of internationally-standardized symbols and pictograms for text.
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The use of bilingual signs has experienced a remarkable expansion in recent times, especially in the western and democratic world. The increase in bilingualism there has been paralleled by increases in international travel and a greater sensitivity to the needs of ethnic and linguistic minorities.
Bilingual signs first arose in places like Belgium where, because of the cohabitation of Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities (especially in the central part of the country near Brussels), bilingualism signaled a simple willingness to accommodate all citizens equally. As a result, all streets signs in the Brussels Capital Region are bilingual in Dutch and French. A second example is the German-speaking South Tyrol (Alto Adige) which was annexed to Italy during World War I and eventually became the focus of assimilation policies (the conversion of toponyms into Italian by Ettore Tolomei, for example). In observance of international treaties, Italy was eventually compelled to acknowledge and accommodate its German-speaking citizens through the use of bilingual signs and countless other measures. In Spain, bilingual signs in the local language and Spanish appear irregularly in the autonomous communities of Basque Country and Catalonia.
Failure to treat a linguistic minority fairly have led to strained relations or even warfare. Examples are the 1938 German annexation of the German-speaking Sudetenland region of neighboring Bohemia (Czechoslovakia) and the repetitive attempts of Germany to resume control of French (but German-speaking) Alsace.
European airports have signs that are generally bilingual with the local language and English, although there are significant variations between countries. In multilingual countries such as Belgium and Switzerland, airports generally have signs in three or four languages. Some airports, such as Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, are used primarily by international travellers, and choose to use unilingually English signs, even if they are located in a non-English-speaking country.
Bilingual signs appear on provincial highways in Ontario, Canada, where there is a sizable French population in the area, although signs in Quebec are generally uni-lingual in French throughout the province. In the Greater Toronto Area, 400 series highways now have bilingual signs posted. In New Brunswick, signs are bilingual in English and French, as both languages share official status there. In Manitoba, bilingual signs are found in designated areas. French-English bilingual signs are also mandated for all government buildings, regardless of where in Canada the buildings are located. In Nunavut, an Inuit territory, signs are in Inuktitut and English, including stop signs. Local routes and city own highways have remained unilingually English only. Bilingual signs are also found at Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport as the airport is under federal jurisdiction. Signs at Vancouver International Airport are multilingual - French and English signs are found throughout the airport while usage of Chinese is also growing. Korean, Japanese and Punjabi are electronically scrolled on screens. Most other airports in Canada have bilingual signs in English and French.
In the People's Republic of China, bilingual signs are mandated by the government in autonomous regions where a minority language share official status with Chinese. In Xinjiang, signs are in Uyghur and Chinese; in Tibet, signs are in Tibetan and Chinese, in Inner Mongolia, signs are in Mongolian (written in the classical alphabet) and Chinese. In Guangxi, the majority of signs are in Chinese, even though the Zhuang language is official in the region. Smaller autonomous areas also have similar policies. Signs in Yanji, which borders North Korea, are in Korean and Chinese. Many areas of Qinghai province mandate bilingual signs in Tibetan and Chinese. In Beijing and Shanghai, due to international exposure of the 2008 Summer Olympics and Expo 2010, almost all city traffic signs are now bilingual with Chinese and English (during the Olympics, signs on Olympic venues were also in French). English use in signs is growing in other major cities as well. In the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, signs must be bilingual with Chinese in English and Portuguese, respectively.
 Bilingual Welcome sign at Newry in Northern Ireland in Irish and English |
 Quadrilingual Sign at Brussels-South railway station in French, Dutch, German, and English. |
 Trilingual sign in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China, in Mongolian, Chinese, and English. |
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 Junction of Road 65 (Iran) and Freeway 7 (Iran) |
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