запрещать vs запретить
zapreshchat' vs zapretit' — forbid generally vs impose a ban
Register: neutral
What it really means
Запрещать describes a rule, repeated prohibition, or the act of forbidding in progress. Запретить establishes a specific ban once.
The person affected is dative; the prohibited action is often an infinitive.
Examples in natural speech
В школе запрещают курить.
Smoking is forbidden at school.
Мама запрещает детям сладкое.
Mom forbids sweets to the children.
Закон запрещает это делать.
The law forbids doing this.
Врач запретил ему бегать.
The doctor forbade him to run.
Здесь запретили парковку.
Parking was banned here.
Common mistakes
Do not use accusative for the person: запретить ему, not запретить его. A lasting rule can still be expressed by the perfective when the ban was introduced.
Memory tip
Запрещать is the continuing restriction; запретить is the act that creates it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I say “forbidden to smoke”?
Курить запрещено, or Здесь запрещают курить.
What case follows запретить?
The recipient is dative.
Is запретить perfective?
Yes.
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