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to forbid or prevent an action by authority or rule
公共场所禁止大声喧哗。
Loud noises are prohibited in public places.
这条路禁止通行。
This road is closed to traffic.
Often used in official notices, laws, or signs.
Avoid using '禁止' for personal preferences (e.g., 'I prohibit you from going' sounds overly formal). Use '不准' or '不让' in casual contexts.
Always use '禁止' in contexts where the prohibition comes from an authority (government, organization, or law). It is not used for personal decisions.
The word combines '禁' (jìn, meaning 'to prohibit' or 'to restrain') and '止' (zhǐ, meaning 'to stop'). Together, they convey the idea of 'stopping an action by prohibition.' The term has been used in Classical Chinese and evolved into modern usage.
Used in both written and spoken Chinese for official prohibitions. Often appears on signs, in laws, or in formal announcements. The word is neutral in tone and does not imply severity beyond the prohibition itself.