| 止まる (tomaru) | 止める (tomeru) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | To stop (intransitive — something stops by itself) | To stop (transitive — someone stops something) |
| Subject | The thing that stops | The person stopping something |
| Direct object? | No — no を | Yes — takes を |
| Example | 車が止まった | 車を止めた |
Yuka止まる and 止める look the same but feel different. How do I know which to use?
ReiKey question: does something stop ON ITS OWN, or does someone MAKE IT stop? 止まる = stops by itself. 止める = you stop it. Classic Japanese intransitive/transitive pair!
What Does 止まる (tomaru) Mean?
止まる is an intransitive verb meaning to stop or to come to a halt. The subject is the thing doing the stopping — it stops on its own (or appears to). No one is forcing it to stop. It is also written as 停まる (for vehicles/traffic).
- 電車が止まった。 — The train stopped.
- 時計が止まっている。 — The clock has stopped.
- 雨が止まった。 — The rain stopped.
- 心臓が止まりそうだ。 — My heart feels like it’s going to stop.
- 足が止まった。 — My feet stopped (I stopped walking).
What Does 止める (tomeru) Mean?
止める is a transitive verb meaning to stop or to bring to a halt. The subject is a person (or force) that stops something else. It always takes a direct object with を. It is also written as 停める (for parking vehicles).
- 車を止めた。 — I stopped the car. / I parked the car.
- 出血を止める。 — To stop the bleeding.
- 音楽を止めてください。 — Please stop the music.
- 彼を止めることができなかった。 — I couldn’t stop him.
- ここに車を止めてもいいですか？ — May I park my car here?
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | 止まる | 止める |
|---|---|---|
| Verb type | Intransitive | Transitive |
| Who/what stops? | The subject itself stops | Someone stops something else |
| Takes を? | No | Yes |
| For rain/clock? | Yes — 雨が止まる | No |
| For parking? | No | Yes — 車を止める (park) |
YukaWhat about 足が止まった vs 足を止めた?
ReiGreat pair! 足が止まった = “My feet stopped” — it happened naturally (something caught your attention). 足を止めた = “I stopped my feet” — you deliberately chose to stop walking. Same situation, different agency!
Common Mistakes
- ✗ 雨を止めた — You can’t stop rain with を (unless you’re a wizard!). 雨が止まった is correct.
- ✗ 車が止めた — Wrong. The car doesn’t stop itself with 止める. ✓ 車を止めた (I stopped/parked the car) or 車が止まった (the car stopped).
- Note: 止める also means “to quit” (synonym of やめる) in some expressions: タバコを止める (to quit smoking).
Quick Quiz
Fill in: 止まる or 止める?
- 1. 信号が赤になったので、車が___た。 (The signal turned red, so the car stopped.)
- 2. 先生が生徒の喧嘩を___た。 (The teacher stopped the students’ fight.)
- 3. 時計が___ているよ。 (The clock has stopped.)
- 4. 出血を___ために布を押し当てた。 (I pressed a cloth to stop the bleeding.)
Answers: 1. 止まっ 2. 止め 3. 止まっ 4. 止める
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Summary
| 止まる | 止める | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Intransitive (stops on its own) | Transitive (someone stops it) |
| Subject | The thing that stops | The person doing the stopping |
| With を? | Never | Always |
| Example | 電車が止まった | 電車を止めた |
