STOP! (in Spanish)
The most common way to tell someone to stop doing something in Spanish is to use the verb “dejar”. But there are actually several ways to ask someone to stop.
- “Parar” is another synonym that you will sometimes hear. It is used in various contexts such as stopping or interrupting an event or conversation, stopping a fight, stopping a check, and many more. It is conjugated “para” as an informal command, or “pare” as a formal command. However, “parar” is definitely most commonly used with friends, family or in other informal situations
- “Dejar de” roughly translates to “cease”. It is used for a range of topics, from quitting smoking, to leave me alone! For example, “dejame solo” (leave me alone) or “dejame hablar” (let me talk).
- “Detener” also means stop, but it has a connotation associated with ‘detain’, ‘hold’ or ‘arrest’, and is typically used by police or in formal writing or speech, such as news reporting.
- Sometimes you will even hear the word “¡Espera!”, which literally means “wait!”. For example, “¡Espera! ¡Está en alto!” (“Wait! It’s the stop light!”).
How do you say shout stop in Spanish?
It is not uncommon to hear “¡Basta ya!” interjected in colloquial Spanish, which is literally translated as “That’s enough!”. It is basically a way to tell someone to “Stop it!” or “Knock it off!”. Alternatively, you could also yell “¡Para ya!” which has essentially the same meaning.
Does Alto mean stop?
Alto does mean stop, although it is more commonly seen on street signs (particularly in Central America, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru) than in everyday conversation. “Alto” stems from the German verb “halten”, meaning to halt or stop. You may also hear police or military saying this as it implies a bit more formality and urgency.
This word is a little confusing as “Alta” can also mean “tall”, as in “el edificio es muy alto” (the building is very tall). So, it does require some contextual clues to decipher.
Other ways to say “stop” in Spanish
| Spanish | English | When it's used |
|---|---|---|
| Parar | Stop/stop by | Stopping by a location, stopping a vehicle |
| Dejar | Stop/quit/leave | Literally means leave, but means stop, quit, or give up when combined with "de" |
| ¡Basta ya! | Stop!/That's enough! | To interject (when you want someone to stop something) |
| ¡Para ya! | Stop!/That's enough! | To interject (when you want someone to stop something) |
| Parada | Stop/Station | Stop (noun, as in train stop or bus stop) |
| Parada | Stop (save) | When a soccer goalkeeper makes a "stop" (save) - preventing the ball from getting in the goal |
| Parada | Stopped/jammed/standing still | Stop (adjective, as in the motor is stopped) |
| Paro | stoppage/strike | When there is a work stoppage such as a labor strike |
| ¡Alto! | Stop! | Most commonly seen on street signs, or said by police/military |
| Descanso | Stop/rest | When you are stopping work/school to take a break |
| Deténgase | Stop (command) | Ask someone to stop doing something |
| Taponar | Stopped (plugged up) | Clogged pipes, etc. |
| Impedir | Stop/prevent | Stopping an accident, preventing other things from happening, etc. |
| Tope | Stop (noun) | Stop (noun, as in a valve stop) |
| ¡Alto al fuego!” | Ceasefire! | War |
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