禁令 (jìn lìng) — (official or legal) ban, prohibition

Definition

A formal, official ban or prohibition issued by authorities (government, school, etc.). Stronger and more institutional than the everyday verb 禁止.

noun

(official or legal) banprohibition

Measure word · 项

禁令，。
Zhèng fǔ fā bù le xīn de jìn lìng, jìn zhǐ zài gōng gòng chǎng suǒ xī yān.
The government issued a new ban prohibiting smoking in public places.
禁令，。
Zhè xiàng jìn lìng yǐ jīng shí shī le yì nián, xiào guǒ fēi cháng míng xiǎn.
This ban has been in effect for a year, and the results are very noticeable.
禁令，。
Xué xiào jiě chú le shǒu jī jìn lìng, xué shēng kě yǐ zài kè jiān shǐ yòng shǒu jī le.
The school lifted the mobile phone ban, so students can use their phones during breaks.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

禁jìnprohibit

禁 gives prohibition, and 令 gives an order, making an official ban.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

林示禁

Meaning part形符xíngfú

示示shìaltar

Sound part声符shēngfú

林

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

禁 has 林 above 示, an altar. The 林 part gives the sound, and the altar part connects the character to taboo or restricted matters.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 令, the upper 亼 is an open mouth and the lower 卩 is a kneeling person, together showing someone giving orders.

Appears in