Zabranjeno

Zabranjeno is an adjective used in several South Slavic languages—Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian—to mean “forbidden” or “prohibited.” In grammar, zabranjeno is the neuter singular form and can modify neuter nouns or function as a predicate after a linking verb, signaling that something is not allowed.

Etymology: It derives from the verb zabraniti, “to forbid.” The related noun zabrana means “ban” or “prohibition.” Zabranjeno is the neuter singular past participle form of zabraniti, and it typically agrees with neuter nouns in usage.

Usage: Zabranjeno appears on signs and notices to indicate restrictions, for example Zabranjeno pušiti (No smoking) or Zabranjeno fotografisati (Photography forbidden). In everyday speech, it can stand alone as a concise warning or part of a longer prohibition.

In culture: The phrase also appears in popular culture. Zabranjeno Pušenje is a well-known Bosnian rock band formed in Sarajevo during the 1980s; the band took its name from the phrase and became a notable part of the Yugoslav rock scene and the New Wave movement. The name is often translated or interpreted as “Forbidden Smoking” or “Smoking Prohibited,” reflecting the literal sense of the words as well as a playful or provocative tone.