El profesor prohíbe usar el celular en la clase.

The teacher prohibits using the cell phone in class.

Breakdown of El profesor prohíbe usar el celular en la clase.

• usar: to use
• en: in
• el profesor: the teacher
• la clase: the class
• el celular: the cell phone
• prohibir: to prohibit

Questions & Answers about El profesor prohíbe usar el celular en la clase.

Why is the verb prohíbe followed directly by the infinitive usar instead of a subordinate clause with que plus the subjunctive?

Spanish allows two main structures with prohibir:

1. Prohibir + infinitive when the subject of both the main verb and the action is the same.
   Example: El profesor prohíbe usar el celular → the professor (same subject) forbids using the phone.
2. Prohibir + que + subjunctive when the subject of the forbidden action is different from the subject of prohibir.
   Example: El profesor prohíbe que los estudiantes usen el celular → the professor forbids that the students use the phone (change of subject).

Why does prohíbe have an accent on the í?

The accent on prohíbe marks where the stress falls. In Spanish, monosyllabic or regular penultimate-stress verbs don’t need accents, but prohíbe is an irregular form of prohibir (third person singular present). Without the accent it would be pronounced wrong (pro-HI-beh vs. pro-HEE-beh). The written accent forces the correct stress on the syllable hí.

When do we use the definite article el before celular? Could we say usar celular instead of usar el celular?

Using el celular makes the noun specific or general in a habitual sense (“the cell phone” meaning any student’s phone). Spanish often uses the definite article in these cases. However, in casual speech you might hear usar celular or usar celular en clase without the article. Both forms are understood, but usar el celular is slightly more formal or explicit.

What’s the difference between celular, teléfono celular, and móvil?

• Celular is the most common term in Latin America.
• Teléfono celular is more formal or clarifying (literally “cellular phone”).
• Móvil is the term used in Spain (short for teléfono móvil).
  All refer to what English speakers call a “mobile phone” or “cell phone.”

Why is it en la clase instead of en clase or a la clase?

• En clase (without article) is idiomatic to mean “during class” in a general sense.
• En la clase refers to a specific class session (e.g., today’s math class).
• A la clase means “to the class” (i.e., going or arriving there), not “in the class.”
  So you choose en la clase when you want to stress “inside that particular class.”

Could we rephrase the sentence using a noun instead of the infinitive? For example, el uso del celular.

Yes. You can turn the infinitive phrase into a noun phrase:
El profesor prohíbe el uso del celular en la clase.
Here el uso del celular (“the use of the cell phone”) is the direct object of prohíbe, and it’s equally correct.

Are there synonyms for prohíbe that could be used here?

Yes, though nuances differ:

• No permite (“does not allow”) is softer than prohíbe.
• Impide (“prevents”) focuses more on stopping something from happening.
• No deja (“doesn’t let”) is more colloquial.
  Example: El profesor no permite usar el celular en la clase.

Can we express the prohibition in passive voice with se or estar?

Absolutely. Two common rephrasings:

1. Passive se: Se prohíbe usar el celular en la clase.
2. Using estar + past participle: Está prohibido usar el celular en la clase.
   Both mean “It is forbidden to use the cell phone in class,” and omit the explicit subject (the professor).