Forbidden! Using 'Prohibir que' with Subjunctive

• The Main Clause: The verb prohibir is always conjugated in the Indicative mood. This is because the act of prohibiting itself is presented as an objective fact. The person or entity issuing the prohibition is performing a concrete action. For example, in La escuela prohíbe... (The school prohibits...), the school's action is a definite reality. Mis padres me prohíben que... (My parents prohibit me from...) similarly states a clear fact.

• The Subordinate Clause: The action being forbidden, introduced by que, is conjugated in the Subjunctive mood. The reason is profound: this action is not an established reality, nor is its occurrence certain. Instead, it is an action whose performance is being actively influenced or prevented by the subject of the main clause. The authority desires for this specific action not to take place. For instance, in ...que los estudiantes usen sus teléfonos (...that the students use their phones), the 'using' is not a fact but the direct target of the prohibition, existing only as a potentiality that the authority wishes to suppress. ...que yo salga tarde (...that I go out late) represents a desired non-occurrence from the prohibitor's perspective.

• El reglamento prohíbe que los visitantes entren con comida. (The regulations prohibit visitors from entering with food.) Here, prohíbe is indicative (a factual rule), but entren is subjunctive because the entering of food is what the rule seeks to prevent.
• Mi jefe me prohíbe que haga horas extras este mes. (My boss prohibits me from working overtime this month.) The boss's prohibition is a fact, but the overtime is the action being influenced.

When employing the que + subjunctive construction, an indirect object pronoun is almost always present and essential. It specifies who is the recipient of the prohibition, clarifying who is being prevented from performing the action. Since prohibir typically implies an action directed at or for someone, the indirect object pronoun fulfills this crucial role. If there isn't a specific individual or group being prohibited, or if the subject initiating prohibir is the same as the subject of the forbidden action, Spanish speakers almost always use prohibir followed by an infinitive, not que + subjunctive. For example, Yo me prohíbo comer carne. (I forbid myself from eating meat.) uses the reflexive pronoun me and an infinitive.

Absolutely. Prohibir can be conjugated in any indicative tense (past, future, conditional, etc.), and the rules of sequence of tenses will then apply to the subjunctive verb in the que clause. Generally, if prohibir is in a past indicative tense, the subjunctive verb in the dependent clause will shift to the Imperfect Subjunctive.

• Present Indicative: La ley prohíbe que los menores compren alcohol. (The law prohibits minors from buying alcohol.)
• Preterite Indicative: La ley prohibió que los menores compraran alcohol. (The law prohibited minors from buying alcohol.)
• Imperfect Indicative: La ley prohibía que los menores compraran alcohol. (The law used to prohibit minors from buying alcohol.)

Both constructions correctly trigger the subjunctive, as both prohibir and no permitir (not to permit/allow) function as verbs of influence or volition. However, they convey subtly different nuances in Spanish:

• Prohibir que: Implies a stronger, more absolute, and often more formal ban or command. It signifies a definitive "no" with clear authority behind it, often suggesting a universal or institutional rule. It focuses on actively preventing an action.
• Example: El gobierno prohíbe que se conduzca sin licencia. (The government prohibits driving without a license.) This is a strict, legal prohibition.

• No permitir que: Denotes a softer negation of permission. It suggests a lack of authorization rather than an absolute ban, implying that permission could potentially be granted under different circumstances or that the context is less formal. It focuses on withholding allowance.
• Example: Mis padres no permiten que yo salga hasta tarde los días de semana. (My parents don't allow me to go out late on weekdays.) They might allow it on weekends or with special permission.

Se prohíbe + infinitive (e.g., Se prohíbe fumar – Smoking forbidden; Se prohíbe la entrada – Entry forbidden) is a very common and grammatically distinct impersonal construction for expressing general prohibitions. This structure, using the impersonal se, focuses solely on the forbidden action itself, making it ideal for universal rules, signs, and notices. It does not specify who is prohibiting or who is being prohibited, treating the prohibition as a general statement of fact.

• Distinction: Prohibir que + subjunctive, conversely, always highlights the authority figure and the specific party being prohibited, making the directive personal and targeted. It's about 'X prohibits Y from doing Z'. Se prohíbe + infinitive is simply 'Z is forbidden'.
• Example (Impersonal): Se prohíbe el uso de teléfonos móviles en la biblioteca. (The use of mobile phones is forbidden in the library.)
• Example (Specific): La bibliotecaria nos prohíbe que usemos los teléfonos móviles. (The librarian prohibits us from using mobile phones.)

The fundamental grammatical structure and rules for prohibir que + subjunctive are standard and consistently applied across all Spanish-speaking regions. The core principles of conjugation, pronoun placement, and the mandatory use of the subjunctive remain universal. The primary regional variation you might encounter, as with most Spanish grammar, relates to the use of the second-person plural. In Spain, vosotros (informal plural) is used, while in Latin America, ustedes (formal plural, but used for both formal and informal plural) is standard.

• Spain: Os prohíbo que lleguéis tarde. (I prohibit you all (informal, Spain) from arriving late.)
• Latin America: Les prohíbo que lleguen tarde. (I prohibit you all (formal, Latin America) from arriving late.)