Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Banned in Spanish: Prohibido
Prohibido · adjective · proh-ee-BEE-doh
The English word 'banned' translates most commonly to prohibido in Spanish, the past participle of prohibir (to prohibit). You see it on signs, in rules, and in everyday conversation to indicate that something is not allowed.
Pronounce prohibido as proh-ee-BEE-doh, stressing the third syllable.
Está prohibido fumar en este edificio.
Smoking is banned in this building.
Banned in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for banned, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| prohibido | banned | proh-ee-BEE-doh | Default, widely understood |
| vetado | banned | vetoed or banned from a place | |
| censurado | banned | censored or suppressed |
How Native Speakers Use Prohibido
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Public sign
Prohibido el paso. Solo personal autorizado.
Entry banned. Authorized personnel only.
A restricted access sign.
Social media
Su cuenta fue vetada de la plataforma por violar las normas.
His account was banned from the platform for violating the rules.
Discussing online moderation.
Book censorship
Ese libro estuvo prohibido durante la dictadura.
That book was banned during the dictatorship.
Discussing historical censorship.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Prohibido
Using baneado from English
Incorrect: Me banearon del juego.
Correct: Me prohibieron jugar. / Me vetaron del juego.
While baneado is used in gaming slang, standard Spanish uses prohibido or vetado for 'banned.'
Forgetting gender agreement
Incorrect: La entrada está prohibido.
Correct: La entrada está prohibida.
Prohibido must agree in gender: prohibido (masculine), prohibida (feminine). Entrada is feminine.
Lock in Banned Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Prohibido used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using prohibido in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Está prohibido fumar en este edificio. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Banned in Spanish
- How do you say 'banned' in Spanish?
- The standard translation is prohibido (from prohibir), used for anything that is not allowed, from smoking bans to book censorship.
- Is baneado a real Spanish word?
- Baneado is internet slang borrowed from English 'banned' and is common in gaming communities, but it is not recognized in formal Spanish — use prohibido or vetado instead.
- How do you say 'to ban someone' in Spanish?
- Use prohibir (to prohibit) for general bans, vetar (to veto/bar) for excluding someone from a place, or expulsar (to expel) for kicking someone out.