禁止する
kinshi suru
The English phrase 'ban' is translated into Japanese as 禁止する (kinshi suru). Wiktionary also lists 禁じる (kinjiru).
Meaning: forbid (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 禁止する | kinshi suru | |
| 禁じる | kinjiru | [kʲĩɲ̟d͡ʑiɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
The verb 禁止する means to prohibit. To express that something is currently banned or prohibited, use the passive form 禁止されている.
Which one should you use?
禁止する is typically used for official bans or prohibitions issued by authorities, such as laws or rules. In contrast, 禁じる is a more literary or formal verb often used in written texts or to describe a moral or social prohibition.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun form 禁止 can be used directly in compound words to indicate a specific type of ban, such as 禁止区域 for 'prohibited area'.
How do you pronounce it?
kinshi suru
Did you know?
- While 禁止する is the standard term for a ban, Japanese people often use the more polite ご遠慮ください (go-enryo kudasai) on signs to 'ban' behavior, which literally asks the visitor to 'refrain' from it.
- The word 禁 itself is the same character used in the word for 'forbidden palace' or 'sanctuary', implying that to ban something is to treat it as sacred or untouchable.
- In modern Japanese digital slang, people sometimes use the word 禁止 to jokingly 'ban' a specific topic of conversation in a group chat.
Examples in context
- 禁止されています。It is prohibited.
- 厳禁です。Strictly forbidden.
- それは禁止だよ。That is prohibited, you know.
- それはダメだよ。That is not allowed.
- 校内での携帯電話の使用を禁止する。Kounai de no keitai denwa no shiyou o kinshi suru.Using mobile phones inside the school is banned.
Example conversation
Hiroto and Himari are talking about new library rules.
- 大翔 Hiroto大翔：図書館での飲食が禁止されたよ。Toshokan de no inshoku ga kinshi sareta yo.Eating and drinking in the library have been banned.
- 陽葵 Himari陽葵：本当に？それは不便だね。Hontō ni? Sore wa fuben da ne.Really? That's inconvenient.
- 大翔 Hiroto大翔：ルールだから禁止するしかないんだ。Rūru dakara kinshi suru shikanai nda.It's a rule, so they have no choice but to ban it.
- 陽葵 Himari陽葵：わかった。気をつけよう。Wakatta. Ki o tsukeyō.I understand. Let's be careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ban” translations and entries 禁じる, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
