to frown upon
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to frown upon
To strongly disapprove of something for moral or social reasons and regard it as inappropriate or taboo.
In dieser Firma ist es verpönt, während der Arbeitszeit private Anrufe zu tätigen.
In this company, making private calls during working hours is frowned upon.
'Verpönen' (to frown upon) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'ver-' remains firmly attached to the verb stem in all conjugated forms and sentence positions.
Er verpönte jede Form von Unpünktlichkeit.
He frowned upon every form of unpunctuality.
This verb is very often used in the passive to describe a general social rule or taboo. The form 'Es ist verpönt, zu...' (It is frowned upon to...) is especially typical.
Früher war es verpönt, wenn Frauen Hosen trugen.
In the past, it was frowned upon for women to wear trousers.
'Verpönen' (to frown upon) belongs to an elevated or more formal style of language. It expresses strong social or moral disapproval that goes beyond simply 'not liking' something.
In vielen Kulturen ist es verpönt, mit den Fingern auf Menschen zu zeigen.
In many cultures, pointing at people with your fingers is frowned upon.
to forbid
'verbieten' and 'verpönen' can both express that something is not wanted. But 'verbieten' clearly means that something is not allowed because of a rule, a law, or an instruction. 'verpönen' means that something is strongly rejected for social or moral reasons. It may still be allowed, but it is considered inappropriate or taboo. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with boundaries. The important point is: a ban is official or direct; something that is 'verpönt' is mainly not socially accepted.
In manchen Familien ist es verpönt, beim Essen auf das Handy zu schauen.
In some families, looking at your phone during meals is frowned upon.
Im Krankenhaus ist Rauchen überall verboten.
Smoking is forbidden everywhere in the hospital.