Explore 禁 through signs and everyday restrictions. Learn each reading with a whole word and its context.

The idea

禁 has 13 strokes and the common reading きん. Follow the linked stroke-order diagram. 禁止（きんし）means prohibition, 禁煙（きんえん）means no smoking, and 禁じる（きんじる）means to prohibit.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingExample in context
禁止きんしPhotography is prohibited in the museum.
禁煙きんえんSmoking is prohibited in this building.
禁じるきんじるThe doctor told me to refrain from drinking alcohol.

Examples

  • 建物たてものの中なかは禁煙きんえんです。Smoking is prohibited in this building.
  • 博物館はくぶつかんでは撮影さつえいが禁止きんしされています。Photography is prohibited in the museum.
  • ここから先さきは立入禁止たちいりきんしです。Entry beyond this point is prohibited.
  • 学校がっこうは生徒せいとに授業中じゅぎょうちゅうの携帯電話けいたいでんの使用しようを禁止きんししています。The school prohibits students from using phones during class.
  • 医者いしゃに飲酒いんしゅを禁きんじられました。The doctor told me to refrain from drinking alcohol.
  • この道みちは駐車ちゅうしゃが禁止きんしされています。Parking is prohibited on this street.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

禁止 forbids an action; 中止 means stopping or cancelling an event. 禁煙 prohibits smoking, not all uses of fire.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 禁止 in hiragana.

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    きんし

    禁止 is きんし: it names a prohibition, as in 撮影禁止.

  2. Write the reading of 禁煙 in hiragana.

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    きんえん

    禁煙 is きんえん: it means no smoking. Learn the reading with the whole word.

  3. Choose the missing kanji: ＿止（きんし）［禁／近］.

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    禁

    禁 completes 禁止（きんし）, prohibition; 近 means near.

Use it today

Write 禁 using the diagram, then cover the table and read 禁止 and 禁煙. Make a sentence about a rule.