Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "売ります" vs "止める"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
売ります
うります (urimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
止める
とめる (tomeru)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 売ります and 止める are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
売ります (うります (urimasu)) represents "to sell" (Level: N5) and typically represents Polite form of 売る.
On the other hand, 止める (とめる (tomeru)) translates to "to stop (something); to park; to fasten" (Level: N4) and is used for Transitive verb. Used for actions like stopping a car. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "売ります"
この店は古い本を売っています。
This store sells old books.
Bilingual Sentence for "止める"
ここに車を止めてもいいですか。
May I park my car here?
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "この店は古い本を売っています。" (Meaning: "This store sells old books.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "売ります" fits here because it represents "to sell" in the context: "This store sells old books.".