Japanese grammar
What does 禁止形（～な） mean? Japanese grammar N4
禁止形（～な） means don't ~! (prohibition).
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N4 |
|---|---|
| Structure | V (dictionary form) + な |
| Romaji | kinshi-kei (~ na) |
| Meaning | don't ~! (prohibition) |
Forming it
| All verb groups | Simply add な after the DICTIONARY form — no conjugation at all: 行く → 行くな、食べる → 食べるな、する → するな、来る → 来るな |
|---|---|
| Corresponding polite form | ～ないでください (please don't ~) |
How to use it
A firm prohibition — as strong as the imperative form, used for prohibition signs and urgent situations.
- This is the easiest form to conjugate in all of N4: keep the dictionary form and add な. But easy to conjugate doesn't mean easy to use — in terms of nuance it's as rough as the imperative form.
- Most commonly seen on signs and slogans because it's short: 「入るな」(do not enter), 「触るな」(do not touch). In everyday life, Japanese people say 「入らないでください」.
- Be careful to distinguish this from な as a sentence-final particle for emphasis/exclamation — 「きれいだな」(how pretty). Only when な comes right after a VERB in dictionary form is it a prohibition.
- Also don't confuse it with ～なさい (a gentle command from someone above): 「食べなさい」= go ahead and eat (a parent urging a child), while 「食べるな」= do not eat. The two sentences have completely opposite meanings while differing by only a few characters.
Examples
ここに車を止めるな。
Don't park your car here.
危ないから、その川で泳ぐな。
It's dangerous, so don't swim in that river.
この部屋に入るなと書いてあります。
It says not to enter this room.
Keep in mind
- In men's speech, 「見るなよ」 adds よ to soften it slightly — but it's still rough.
- Learners should use ～ないでください in all everyday situations.
Common mistakes
-
Wrong食べないな。
Don't eat.
Correct食べるな。
Vietnamese speakers see "don't eat" as a negative meaning and automatically conjugate the ない form first. But な already carries the meaning of prohibition — it only attaches to the DICTIONARY form. 「食べないな」 instead becomes an exclamatory sentence meaning "not eating, huh".
-
Wrongお母さんは「野菜をたくさん食べるな」と言って、もっと食べさせました。
Mom said "eat lots of vegetables" and gave me more to eat.
Correctお母さんは「野菜をたくさん食べなさい」と言って、もっと食べさせました。
Confusing ～な (prohibition) with ～なさい (please ~). な means to PROHIBIT eating, but the following clause tells about the mother giving more to eat — a logical contradiction within the sentence itself.
Exam tips
- Classic trap: choosing between 「入るな」 and 「入らないな」 — always remember prohibition uses the DICTIONARY form + な.