Verbieten vs. untersagen
The German words verbieten and untersagen both mean to forbid or to prohibit. The primary difference between them lies in their level of formality and the context in which they are used. While verbieten is an everyday term used in a wide variety of situations, untersagen is a highly formal, bureaucratic word reserved for official or legal directives.
Verbieten
The word verbieten is the standard, most common way to express that something is forbidden. It is highly versatile and used in everyday conversation, by parents setting rules, by doctors giving advice, or on general public signs. It sounds natural in both casual and standard formal situations.
Meine Mutter wird mir verbieten, heute Abend auf die Party zu gehen.
(My mother will forbid me from going to the party tonight.)
Der Arzt hat seinem Patienten das Rauchen verboten.
(The doctor forbade his patient to smoke.)
In diesem Park ist es verboten, die Tiere zu füttern.
(It is forbidden to feed the animals in this park.)
Ich verbiete dir, jemals wieder in diesem Ton mit mir zu sprechen.
(I forbid you to ever speak to me in that tone again.)
Die Lehrerin verbot den Schülern, während der Prüfung miteinander zu reden.
(The teacher forbade the students from talking to each other during the exam.)
Mein Vermieter möchte mir verbieten, einen Hund in der Wohnung zu halten.
(My landlord wants to forbid me from keeping a dog in the apartment.)
Untersagen
The word untersagen translates closely to officially prohibit or to interdict. It is a very formal, legalistic, and authoritative term. You will typically read or hear it in court rulings, official police decrees, strict workplace regulations, and bureaucratic letters. It feels unnatural and overly stiff in casual conversation.
Das Gericht hat dem Magazin untersagt, diese Behauptungen weiter zu verbreiten.
(The court has prohibited the magazine from further spreading these claims.)
Der Arbeitgeber kann seinen Mitarbeitern die private Nutzung des Internets untersagen.
(The employer can prohibit its employees from using the internet for private purposes.)
Die geplante Demonstration wurde vom Ordnungsamt offiziell untersagt.
(The planned demonstration was officially prohibited by the public order office.)
Es ist mir vertraglich strengstens untersagt, über dieses geheime Projekt zu sprechen.
(I am contractually strictly prohibited from talking about this secret project.)
Die Baubehörde untersagte den sofortigen Abriss des historischen Gebäudes.
(The building authority prohibited the immediate demolition of the historical building.)
Dem Arzt wurde untersagt, seinen Beruf weiterhin auszuüben.
(The doctor was prohibited from continuing to practice his profession.)
Summary
In summary, verbieten is the universal, everyday word for forbidding something, suitable for family life, general rules, and daily interactions. Conversely, untersagen is a specialized, formal term used exclusively when an official authority, court, or employer issues a strict, formal prohibition.