Ban in Different Languages
Discover 'Ban' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'ban' carries significant weight in our daily lives, often denoting a restriction or prohibition that can shape our behavior and experiences. Its cultural importance is evident in various contexts, from societal norms to legal frameworks. Understanding its translation in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures approach the concept of restriction and control.
For instance, the French translation of 'ban' is 'interdiction,' which stems from the Latin 'interdire,' meaning 'to forbid.' In German, 'ban' becomes 'Verbot,' reflecting the forceful nature of a prohibition. Meanwhile, in Spanish, 'ban' is translated as 'prohibición,' emphasizing the preventative aspect of such a restriction.
Delving into the translations of 'ban' across languages not only enriches our linguistic repertoire but also sheds light on the fascinating cultural nuances that shape our understanding of this powerful word.
Ban
Ban in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verbod | ||
| The word "verbod" in Afrikaans also means "prohibition" in legal contexts. | |||
| Amharic | እገዳ | ||
| The term እገዳ originated from the word for 'boundary'. Its primary definition referred to the limitations within the boundaries as much as to the prohibition of crossing it. | |||
| Hausa | hana | ||
| The Hausa word "hana" also has a meaning of 'to forbid' or 'to prevent'. | |||
| Igbo | mmachibido iwu | ||
| The literal meaning of "mmachibido" is "one that will prevent trouble," and is often used to imply the avoidance of conflict. | |||
| Malagasy | fandrarana | ||
| The word "fandrarana" in Malagasy also means "disorder" or "confusion". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chiletso | ||
| The word "chiletso" is used to specify a ban or prohibition in Nyanja, originating from the root word "leta" meaning "to forbid, prohibit or obstruct" | |||
| Shona | kurambidza | ||
| Kurambidza derives from the word 'kuramba' meaning 'to hold' or 'to catch', thus the literal translation of 'kurambidza' is 'to cause to hold' or 'to cause to catch', or in other words, 'to ban'. | |||
| Somali | mamnuucid | ||
| The word mamnuuc is derived from the Arabic noun 'mamnun', which originally meant 'grace', but has a more negative connotation in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | thibelo | ||
| The word "thibelo" in Sesotho also means "prohibition, interdiction, or restraint". | |||
| Swahili | marufuku | ||
| "Marufuku" is also used by Swahili speakers with reference to something that's been forbidden (haraam in Arabic), or prohibited. | |||
| Xhosa | ukuvalwa | ||
| The Xhosa word "ukuvalwa" is derived from the verb "ukuvula" meaning "to hide" and can also refer to "isolation" or "concealment." | |||
| Yoruba | gbesele | ||
| Gbesele, derived from 'gbe' meaning 'to hold/take/receive' and 'ese' meaning 'leg,' initially referred to the symbolic gesture of holding one's foot to bar entry. | |||
| Zulu | ukuvinjelwa | ||
| The Zulu word 'ukuvinjelwa' shares its root with 'inselele', meaning 'fence', 'stockade', 'fort', and 'fortification'. This suggests that a ban is seen as a kind of protective barrier. | |||
| Bambara | ban | ||
| Ewe | mɔxexe ɖe enu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kubuza | ||
| Lingala | kopekisa | ||
| Luganda | okuwera | ||
| Sepedi | thibelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ban a wɔabara | ||
Ban in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | المنع | ||
| "المنع" also means "to hold back", "to prevent", "to forbid". | |||
| Hebrew | לֶאֱסוֹר | ||
| The root אסר ('asar) in Hebrew means 'to tie' and is related to the word אסיר ('asir), meaning 'prisoner'. | |||
| Pashto | بندیز | ||
| The Pashto word "بندیز" ("ban") could originally mean "an enclosure, a hedge". | |||
| Arabic | المنع | ||
| "المنع" also means "to hold back", "to prevent", "to forbid". | |||
Ban in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ndalim | ||
| The Albanian word "ndalim" (ban) also means "stoppage" or "suspension" in some contexts. | |||
| Basque | debeku | ||
| The word "debeku" also has the meaning of "duty" or "obligation" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | prohibició | ||
| The Catalan word "prohibició" derives from the Latin "prohibitio," meaning "to prevent or forbid." | |||
| Croatian | zabrana | ||
| In Croatian, the word 'zabrana' has an additional meaning of 'fence' or 'barrier', derived from the verb 'zabraniti' ('to forbid' or 'to block'). | |||
| Danish | forbyde | ||
| The Danish word "forbyde" is cognate with the English word "forbid" and shares its common Germanic root meaning "to order" or "to command" | |||
| Dutch | verbod | ||
| The word "verbod" shares its origin with "verbieden", which means "to prohibit" or "to forbid". | |||
| English | ban | ||
| The word 'ban' originates from the Frankish word 'bannan' meaning 'to command' or 'to proclaim' | |||
| French | interdire | ||
| The verb 'interdire' (ban) derives from Latin 'interdicere', meaning 'to forbid by a religious ceremony'. It can also be used in non-legal contexts to indicate strict disapproval or a prohibition on certain behaviors. | |||
| Frisian | ferbod | ||
| The word “ferbod” in Frisian, besides meaning “ban,” also has the meaning “forbid” in English. | |||
| Galician | prohibición | ||
| Galician "prohibición" is a homograph meaning "prohibition", "forbidding" and "interdiction" in Portuguese, Spanish and Galician respectively, and also an antonym of the verb "permitir" (allow). | |||
| German | verbot | ||
| The word "Verbot" is derived from the Proto-Germanic verb *werb- meaning "to prevent" from which English words like "forbid" are also derived | |||
| Icelandic | banna | ||
| The word "banna" in Icelandic can also refer to a strip of land or a pasture. | |||
| Irish | toirmeasc | ||
| In Ulster, "toirmeasc" can also mean "prohibition" or "restraint", with its etymology likely deriving from "toirmeasg", meaning "hindrance" or "obstruction". | |||
| Italian | bandire | ||
| The verb "bandire" comes from the Greek "pandein", meaning "to declare publicly". | |||
| Luxembourgish | verbidden | ||
| In the 13th century Middle Low German "verbieden" also had the meaning "to denounce". | |||
| Maltese | projbizzjoni | ||
| The Maltese word "projbizzjoni" is derived from the Italian word "proibizione" and means "ban" or "prohibition." | |||
| Norwegian | forby | ||
| The word "forby" in Norwegian also means "to pass by" and "to prevent or hinder." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | banimento | ||
| In Portuguese, "banimento" also refers to a period of exile or banishment. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | casg | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "casg" can also mean "case", "frame", or "shell". | |||
| Spanish | prohibición | ||
| "Prohibición" also means "prohibition" in the sense of the American Prohibition era of the 1920s-1930s. | |||
| Swedish | förbjuda | ||
| The Swedish word "förbjuda" is derived from the Old Norse word "forbjuða", meaning "to forbid or outlaw". | |||
| Welsh | gwaharddiad | ||
| The word "gwaharddiad" can also refer to a prohibition or a denial. | |||
Ban in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | забарона | ||
| The Belarusian word "забарона" can mean "barrier" or "prohibition". | |||
| Bosnian | zabraniti | ||
| Zabraniti shares its etymological root with the words 'forbid' and 'prohibit' | |||
| Bulgarian | забрана | ||
| "Забрана" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*zabraniti", meaning "to defend", and also means "prohibition". | |||
| Czech | zákaz | ||
| The word "zákaz" in Czech can also refer to a "prohibition" or a "restriction". | |||
| Estonian | keeld | ||
| The verb “keelama” (“to forbid”) originally meant “to prohibit speech” and is related to the word “keel” (“tongue”). | |||
| Finnish | kieltää | ||
| The word "kieltää" also means "to deny" or "to refuse". | |||
| Hungarian | tilalom | ||
| "Tilalom" has a second, rarely used, meaning in Hungarian: "a charm or spell". | |||
| Latvian | aizliegt | ||
| "Aizliegt" is a homonym, also meaning "to fly away" or "to sail off". | |||
| Lithuanian | uždrausti | ||
| The word "uždrausti" also means "to forbid" and is the etymology of the Lithuanian word for "law", "įstatymas". | |||
| Macedonian | забрана | ||
| The word "забрана" in Macedonian comes from the Proto-Slavic word *zaprěti, meaning "to forbid". | |||
| Polish | zakaz | ||
| The word "zakaz" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *za-kazati, meaning "to prohibit" or "to forbid". | |||
| Romanian | interzice | ||
| The Romanian word "interzice" derives from the Latin "interdicere" which also means "to forbid" or "to prohibit". | |||
| Russian | запретить | ||
| The verb запретить (zapretit) means 'to forbid' or 'to prohibit' and is related to the noun запрет (zapret), which means 'prohibition' or 'ban'. | |||
| Serbian | забранити | ||
| The word "забранити" also means "forbid" and "prohibit" | |||
| Slovak | zákaz | ||
| The word "zákaz" also has the alternate meaning of "prohibition" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | prepoved | ||
| The word 'prepoved' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'zaprěti', which means 'to close off, forbid, or prohibit'. | |||
| Ukrainian | заборона | ||
| Заборона is also used to describe a period of prohibition or restriction. | |||
Ban in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নিষেধাজ্ঞা | ||
| The word "নিষেধাজ্ঞা" in Bengali has its roots in the Sanskrit word "निषेध", which means "prohibition" or "injunction." | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રતિબંધ | ||
| The word "प्रतिबंघ" in Gujarati also means "hindrance" and "obstacle". | |||
| Hindi | प्रतिबंध | ||
| The word "प्रतिबंध" has its root in Sanskrit, meaning "to restrict" or "to limit." | |||
| Kannada | ನಿಷೇಧ | ||
| The word "ನಿಷೇಧ" has roots in Sanskrit and is also used in other Dravidian languages, such as Tamil and Malayalam, where it carries similar meanings related to prohibition or restriction. | |||
| Malayalam | നിരോധനം | ||
| The word "നിരോധനം" (ban) in Malayalam originally meant "to prohibit" or "to forbid" certain actions or practices. | |||
| Marathi | बंदी | ||
| In Marathi, the word "बंदी" also refers to a type of religious hymn sung by female singers. | |||
| Nepali | प्रतिबन्ध | ||
| प्रतिबन्ध originated from Sanskrit प्रति+बन्ध which means 'against fetters', it also means prohibition and restriction. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਾਬੰਦੀ | ||
| The word "paabandi" in Punjabi can also refer to a restriction or limitation. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තහනම් කරන්න | ||
| The word can also mean 'to cancel' or 'to put an end to' something. | |||
| Tamil | தடை | ||
| "தடை" (ban) in Tamil can also mean "obstacle" or "hindrance." | |||
| Telugu | నిషేధం | ||
| The word "నిషేధం" can also mean "prohibition" or "restriction". | |||
| Urdu | پابندی | ||
| Origin (Persian "pa-bandi" meaning "foot restraint" or "tying of the feet"): A prohibition or constraint on an action. | |||
Ban in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | ban | ||
| Chinese word "ban" comes from a Proto-Sino-Tibetan word meaning "to speak". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | ban | ||
| Chinese characters for 'ban' can also refer to laws, prohibitions, or obstacles. | |||
| Japanese | 禁止 | ||
| The kanji character '禁' (kin), meaning 'prohibit' or 'restrict,' also appears in the word '禁煙' (kinen), meaning 'no smoking,' and '禁句' (kinken), meaning 'taboo word.' | |||
| Korean | 반 | ||
| The word "반" (ban), most commonly known as "ban" in English, also means "side" or "half" in some contexts, such as "좌반" (joaban, "left side") and "반" (ban, "half"). | |||
| Mongolian | хориглох | ||
| The word "хориглох" derives from the verb "хорих" (to forbid) and has the alternate meaning of "prohibition". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပိတ်ပင်ထားမှု | ||
Ban in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | melarang | ||
| It seems to derive from the Dutch word "verbieden", which is an Old Germanic word. | |||
| Javanese | larangan | ||
| The word 'larangan' also means 'prohibition', 'restriction', 'interdiction', and 'embargo' in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ហាមឃាត់ | ||
| The word 'ហាមឃាត់' ('ban') is derived from the Sanskrit word 'nivartana,' meaning 'to turn away' or 'to prevent'. | |||
| Lao | ຫ້າມ | ||
| The word "ຫ້າມ" can also refer to a restricted area or zone. | |||
| Malay | larangan | ||
| "Larangan" (ban) comes from the Malay word "larang" meaning "to forbid" and "to prohibit". | |||
| Thai | ห้าม | ||
| The word "ห้าม" (ban) in Thai can also mean "prohibit" or "prevent". | |||
| Vietnamese | lệnh cấm | ||
| The word "lệnh cấm" can also refer to a prohibition or interdiction. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagbabawal | ||
Ban in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qadağa | ||
| The word "qadağa" can also mean "prohibition" or "interdiction" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | тыйым салу | ||
| The word "тыйым салу" in Kazakh has its origins in the Turkic word "тыйым", meaning "prohibition" or "restriction." | |||
| Kyrgyz | тыюу салуу | ||
| The word "тыюу салуу" in Kyrgyz can also mean to prohibit, forbid, or restrict. | |||
| Tajik | манъ кардан | ||
| The word "манъ кардан" in Tajik also means "to forbid" or "to prohibit". | |||
| Turkmen | gadagan etmek | ||
| Uzbek | taqiqlash | ||
| Taqiqlash can also mean 'restriction' or 'forbiddance'. | |||
| Uyghur | چەكلەش | ||
Ban in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pāpā | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word "pāpā" also refers to a type of stone platform or fence, often found in sacred or historic sites. | |||
| Maori | aukati | ||
| The Maori word "aukati" also means "to interrupt" or "to cease". | |||
| Samoan | faasa | ||
| The word "faasa" is also an archaic term for "law". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagbawal | ||
| Pagbawal, meaning "ban," is also used in the sense of "prohibition" or "restriction". | |||
Ban in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jark’atäñapawa | ||
| Guarani | prohibición rehegua | ||
Ban in International Languages
| Esperanto | malpermeso | ||
| "Malpermeso" originates from the Esperanto words "mal" (bad) and "permeso" (permission/allow). | |||
| Latin | ban | ||
| The word "ban" is derived from a Latin word meaning "to proclaim" and has alternate meanings in heraldry, music, and literature. | |||
Ban in Others Languages
| Greek | απαγόρευση | ||
| In Ancient Greek, the word απαγόρευση meant "to speak out against" or "to forbid." | |||
| Hmong | txwv | ||
| The word "txwv" in Hmong can also refer to "law", "rule", or "prohibition". | |||
| Kurdish | qedexe | ||
| The term 'qedexe' can refer to the act of banning, prohibiting, or prohibiting something or someone from doing something. | |||
| Turkish | yasaklamak | ||
| The Turkish word "yasaklamak" originates from the Arabic word "yasara" which means "to make it easy" and it can also mean "to forbid", "to prevent" or "to restrict". | |||
| Xhosa | ukuvalwa | ||
| The Xhosa word "ukuvalwa" is derived from the verb "ukuvula" meaning "to hide" and can also refer to "isolation" or "concealment." | |||
| Yiddish | פאַרבאָט | ||
| "פאַרבאָט" can also mean "barrier" or "obstacle" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | ukuvinjelwa | ||
| The Zulu word 'ukuvinjelwa' shares its root with 'inselele', meaning 'fence', 'stockade', 'fort', and 'fortification'. This suggests that a ban is seen as a kind of protective barrier. | |||
| Assamese | নিষেধাজ্ঞা | ||
| Aymara | jark’atäñapawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | रोक लगा दिहल गइल | ||
| Dhivehi | މަނާކުރުން | ||
| Dogri | बैन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagbabawal | ||
| Guarani | prohibición rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | ban | ||
| Krio | ban | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | قەدەغەکردن | ||
| Maithili | बैन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯊꯤꯡꯕꯥ ꯊꯝꯂꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | ban | ||
| Oromo | uggura | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନିଷେଧ | | ||
| Quechua | hark’ay | ||
| Sanskrit | ban | ||
| Tatar | тыю | ||
| Tigrinya | እገዳ | ||
| Tsonga | ku yirisiwa | ||