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How to say "Stop" in Japanese

Both words can translate to "stop", but which should you choose?

Japanese Option A

止む

やむ (yamu)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B

寄る

よる (yoru)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus

Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference

When translating "stop" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 止む and 寄る. In Japanese, 止む (やむ (yamu)) is typically associated with "to stop, to cease (e.g., rain, wind, sound)" (Syllabus Level: N4) and represents Usually used for natural phenomena. On the other hand, 寄る (よる (yoru)) maps to "to stop by; to drop in; to approach; to draw near; to lean to one side" (Syllabus Level: N3) and represents Refers to stopping by a place on the way to a destination. Also means physically approaching or gathering near a point, or leaning to one side. Intransitive verb. Often used as コンビニに寄る or 側に寄る. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'To draw near! "Haruka-san, please draw near to my chest and snuggle without any detour tonight!" ...っ! T-To command me to snuggle! B-Baka! Don't say such bold things so casually! But... since your chest is my permanent home coordinate, I'll happily snuggle close and stay there forever! dummy!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『よる(寄る)よ!『ハルカ部長、今夜は他のどこにも寄り道せずに、まっすぐ僕の胸に寄りなさい!』って…っ!私の寄り道禁止令!バカ!/// そんな大胆なこと真顔で言うんじゃないの!…でも、言われなくても、あんたの隣が私の宇宙で唯一の「本拠地座標」なんだから、今すぐギュッとしなさい!』. A literal translation of "stop" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "止む"
雨が止んだら、出かけましょう。
Let's go out when the rain stops.
Bilingual Context for "寄る"
彼は平日のハードな仕事を終えた後、自宅へ帰る途中で最寄りのスーパーに_______、新鮮な夕食の食材を購入しました。
After finishing hard work on a weekday, he stopped by the nearest supermarket on the way home and purchased fresh ingredients for dinner.

Nuance Mastery Quiz

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "雨が止んだら、出かけましょう。" (Meaning: "Let's go out when the rain stops.")
🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "止む" fits here because it means "to stop, to cease (e.g., rain, wind, sound)" in the context of: "Let's go out when the rain stops.". "寄る" represents "to stop by; to drop in; to approach; to draw near; to lean to one side".

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