What it means
ممنوع (mamnu’) means forbidden or prohibited. It is borrowed from Arabic مَمْنُوع (mamnu’), the passive participle of the root م-ن-ع, meaning to prevent or to bar. In Persian it functions as an adjective: ورود ممنوع (vorud mamnu’, entry forbidden), عکاسی ممنوع (akkâsi mamnu’, photography prohibited). A close synonym is قدغن (qadaghan), which carries a slightly older or more emphatic register and is common in notices. حرام (harâm) also means forbidden but specifically in a religious sense and is not interchangeable with ممنوع in civil or legal contexts.
How to use it
- اینجا ورود ممنوعه. (injâ vorud mamnu’e.) “Entry is forbidden here.”
- توی این پارک سیگار کشیدن ممنوعه. (too-ye in pârk sigâr keshidan mamnu’e.) “Smoking in this park is forbidden.”
- چرا عکس گرفتن اینجا ممنوعه؟ (cherâ aks gereftan injâ mamnu’e?) “Why is taking photos forbidden here?”
- دوچرخه سواری رو پیادهرو ممنوعه. (docharkhesavâri roo piyâde-row mamnu’e.) “Cycling on the sidewalk is forbidden.”
Cultural note
ممنوع is one of the most visible words in Iran’s urban landscape, appearing on signs in government buildings, museums, parks, and roads. Despite its Arabic origin, ممنوع is used unselfconsciously by all generations and registers of Persian speaker and feels entirely native in Iranian everyday speech.