When you hear the word arrestare in Italian, it's generally about the police or law enforcement. It means to arrest someone, or to stop them officially. Think about when the police stop a car or arrest a suspect. It's a formal action. You might also hear it in a slightly broader sense of bringing something to a halt, but its primary use at this level is related to legal actions.
arrestare en 30 secondes
- to stop
- to seize
- to arrest
Le savais-tu ?
The English word 'arrest' shares the same Latin root as the Italian 'arrestare'.
Niveau de difficulté
Common verb, easy to recognize.
Regular -are verb conjugation.
Pronunciation is straightforward.
Clear sound, easy to distinguish.
Quoi apprendre ensuite
Prérequis
Apprends ensuite
Avancé
Grammaire à connaître
Like many -are verbs, 'arrestare' is a regular verb. This means its conjugations follow predictable patterns in different tenses.
Io arresto (I arrest), Tu arresti (You arrest), Lui/Lei arresta (He/She arrests).
In compound tenses (like passato prossimo), 'arrestare' uses the auxiliary verb 'avere' (to have).
Ho arrestato (I have arrested), Hai arrestato (You have arrested).
When used impersonally, such as 'to be arrested', Italian uses the passive voice construction 'essere arrestato/a'.
Il ladro è stato arrestato. (The thief was arrested).
The verb 'arrestare' can sometimes be used reflexively as 'arrestarsi' meaning 'to stop oneself' or 'to halt'. This is less common in the legal sense and more about general stopping.
L'auto si è arrestata all'incrocio. (The car stopped at the intersection).
When referring to a specific person being arrested, you often use the direct object pronoun (lo, la, li, le) before the conjugated verb, especially if the person is already known.
Lo hanno arrestato. (They arrested him).
Exemples par niveau
La polizia deve arrestare il ladro.
The police must arrest the thief.
Hanno arrestato il sospettato ieri sera.
They arrested the suspect last night.
Non puoi arrestare la crescita di un bambino.
You cannot stop the growth of a child.
Il giudice può arrestare la procedura.
The judge can stop the procedure.
Voglio arrestare questa discussione ora.
I want to stop this discussion now.
Sei sicuro che vogliano arrestare il progetto?
Are you sure they want to stop the project?
Il semaforo mi fa arrestare.
The traffic light makes me stop.
È importante arrestare la diffusione del virus.
It is important to stop the spread of the virus.
La polizia è riuscita ad arrestare il sospettato dopo un lungo inseguimento.
The police managed to arrest the suspect after a long chase.
Past tense of 'arrestare' (arrested).
Le forze dell'ordine hanno arrestato tre persone in relazione alla rapina.
Law enforcement arrested three people in connection with the robbery.
Past tense of 'arrestare' (arrested).
Il giudice ha emesso un mandato di arresto internazionale.
The judge issued an international arrest warrant.
'Mandato di arresto' means arrest warrant.
Si dice che l'azienda sia stata costretta ad arrestare la produzione a causa di problemi finanziari.
It is said that the company was forced to stop production due to financial problems.
Here 'arrestare' is used in the sense of 'to stop' or 'halt' an activity.
Hanno cercato di arrestare la diffusione delle notizie false con una campagna informativa.
They tried to stop the spread of fake news with an information campaign.
Using 'arrestare' to mean 'to halt' or 'to curb' the spread of something.
L'improvviso guasto ha arrestato la corsa del treno.
The sudden breakdown stopped the train's journey.
Reflexive use of 'arrestare' as 'to stop' or 'come to a halt'.
Il progresso scientifico non può essere arrestato.
Scientific progress cannot be stopped.
Passive form of 'arrestare' (to be stopped).
Se non riusciamo ad arrestare il degrado ambientale, le conseguenze saranno catastrofiche.
If we don't manage to halt environmental degradation, the consequences will be catastrophic.
Using 'arrestare' in a figurative sense of 'to stop' or 'to curb' a negative process.
Expressions idiomatiques
"arrestare il traffico"
To stop traffic
L'incidente ha arrestato il traffico per ore. (The accident stopped traffic for hours.)
neutral"arrestare la corsa"
To stop the run (of something), to halt progress
Hanno cercato di arrestare la corsa del virus. (They tried to halt the spread of the virus.)
neutral"arrestare lo sviluppo"
To stop development
La crisi ha arrestato lo sviluppo economico. (The crisis stopped economic development.)
neutral"arrestare il tempo"
To stop time
Vorrei poter arrestare il tempo in questo momento. (I wish I could stop time right now.)
neutral"arrestare l'emorragia"
To stop the bleeding (literally or figuratively)
È importante arrestare l'emorragia finanziaria. (It's important to stop the financial bleeding.)
neutral"arrestare la caduta"
To stop the fall
Hanno fatto del loro meglio per arrestare la caduta dei prezzi. (They did their best to stop the fall in prices.)
neutral"arrestare il declino"
To stop the decline
Si spera di arrestare il declino della popolazione. (It is hoped to stop the decline in population.)
neutral"arrestare la diffusione"
To stop the spread
Le misure sono state prese per arrestare la diffusione della malattia. (Measures were taken to stop the spread of the disease.)
neutral"arrestare il processo"
To stop the process
Non è facile arrestare il processo di invecchiamento. (It's not easy to stop the aging process.)
neutral"arrestare il cuore"
To stop the heart (usually in a medical context, or figuratively to mean 'to shock')
La notizia ha quasi arrestato il mio cuore. (The news almost stopped my heart.)
neutralOrigine du mot
Latin
Sens originel : to stop, to restrain
Indo-EuropeanContexte culturel
In Italy, the act of arresting someone is a formal process, similar to other Western legal systems. You might hear this term in news reports or crime dramas. While the legal process is serious, everyday conversations might use 'fermare' (to stop) for less formal situations, even if a temporary stop by authorities is implied.
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsThe Italian word for 'to arrest' is arrestare.
Yes, arrestare is a regular -are verb. This means its conjugations follow a predictable pattern.
While its primary meaning is related to legal apprehension of people, arrestare can sometimes be used in a broader sense to mean 'to stop' or 'to halt' something, though this is less common than 'fermare'. For example: La polizia ha arrestato il ladro. (The police arrested the thief.) Or, less commonly: Arrestare la macchina. (To stop the car.)
Arrestare specifically means to stop or seize by legal authority, usually referring to a person. Fermare is a more general verb meaning 'to stop' or 'to halt' something or someone, without the legal connotation. For example: La polizia ha arrestato il criminale. (The police arrested the criminal.) Vs. Ho fermato l'autobus. (I stopped the bus.)
Here's the present tense conjugation for arrestare:
- io arresto (I arrest)
- tu arresti (you arrest - singular informal)
- lui/lei arresta (he/she arrests)
- noi arrestiamo (we arrest)
- voi arrestate (you arrest - plural/formal)
- loro arrestano (they arrest)
For the passato prossimo, arrestare uses 'avere' as its auxiliary verb. The past participle is 'arrestato'. So:
- io ho arrestato (I arrested)
- tu hai arrestato (you arrested)
- lui/lei ha arrestato (he/she arrested)
- noi abbiamo arrestato (we arrested)
- voi avete arrestato (you arrested)
- loro hanno arrestato (they arrested)
No, arrestare is not typically used reflexively. You wouldn't say 'arrestarsi'. If someone is stopping themselves, you would use 'fermarsi'.
Here's a practical example: I carabinieri hanno arrestato il sospettato. (The carabinieri arrested the suspect.)
A common phrase is essere arrestato, which means 'to be arrested'. For instance: È stato arrestato per furto. (He was arrested for theft.)
Arrestare is considered a B1 level word in the CEFR framework. This means it's an intermediate vocabulary item.
Teste-toi 42 questions
The police arrested the thief last night.
You need to stop the car before the traffic light.
I hope they don't arrest my friend by mistake.
Read this aloud:
La polizia ha arrestato l'uomo.
Focus: arreSTARE
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
Dobbiamo arrestare la macchina qui.
Focus: arreSTARE
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
Non vogliono arrestare nessuno.
Focus: arreSTARE
Tu as dit :
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La polizia è riuscita ad ___ il ladro dopo un lungo inseguimento. (The police managed to ___ the thief after a long chase.)
'Arrestare' means to stop or seize by legal authority, which fits the context of the police catching a thief.
Il giudice ha deciso di ___ il processo per mancanza di prove. (The judge decided to ___ the trial due to lack of evidence.)
In this context, 'arrestare' means to halt or stop something, like a legal process.
Devi ___ di parlare così, mi stai innervosendo! (You have to ___ talking like that, you're making me nervous!)
'Arrestare' can also mean to stop an action or activity, fitting the request to stop talking.
Il treno ha dovuto ___ improvvisamente a causa di un ostacolo sui binari. (The train had to ___ suddenly because of an obstacle on the tracks.)
Here, 'arrestare' is used to mean the train stopped its movement.
Il direttore ha chiesto di ___ tutti i lavori sul progetto fino a nuove istruzioni. (The director asked to ___ all work on the project until further instructions.)
In this sentence, 'arrestare' means to halt or suspend work on the project.
Se non rispetti la legge, potresti essere ___ dalla polizia. (If you don't respect the law, you could be ___ by the police.)
The past participle 'arrestato' is used here to indicate being seized by legal authority.
Write a short sentence using 'arrestare' in the past tense, describing a police action.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
La polizia ha arrestato il sospettato per un crimine minore. (The police arrested the suspect for a minor crime.)
Imagine you are writing a news headline. Use 'arrestare' to describe someone being stopped by authorities.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Arrestato un uomo per aver bloccato il traffico in centro. (A man arrested for blocking traffic downtown.)
Write a sentence describing a situation where someone was stopped, but not necessarily by police. Use 'arrestare' in a slightly more general sense of 'to stop'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Il maltempo potrebbe arrestare il nostro viaggio al confine. (Bad weather might stop our trip at the border.)
Perché la polizia ha arrestato il veicolo?
Read this passage:
La polizia ha dovuto arrestare il veicolo dopo un lungo inseguimento. Il conducente è stato interrogato per diverse ore prima di essere rilasciato. Non è stato arrestato per alcun crimine grave.
Perché la polizia ha arrestato il veicolo?
The passage states: 'La polizia ha dovuto arrestare il veicolo dopo un lungo inseguimento.' (The police had to stop the vehicle after a long chase.)
The passage states: 'La polizia ha dovuto arrestare il veicolo dopo un lungo inseguimento.' (The police had to stop the vehicle after a long chase.)
Quante persone sono state arrestate?
Read this passage:
I carabinieri hanno arrestato tre persone sospettate di furto in una gioielleria. L'operazione è avvenuta questa mattina presto e le indagini sono ancora in corso. Si spera di recuperare la merce rubata.
Quante persone sono state arrestate?
The passage says: 'I carabinieri hanno arrestato tre persone sospettate di furto.' (The carabinieri arrested three people suspected of theft.)
The passage says: 'I carabinieri hanno arrestato tre persone sospettate di furto.' (The carabinieri arrested three people suspected of theft.)
Qual è un altro significato di 'arrestare' menzionato nel testo?
Read this passage:
È importante ricordare che 'arrestare' può significare anche 'fermare' in senso generale, non solo in ambito legale. Ad esempio, si può arrestare un processo o un progresso. Non sempre implica l'intervento della polizia.
Qual è un altro significato di 'arrestare' menzionato nel testo?
The passage clarifies: "'arrestare' può significare anche 'fermare' in senso generale... Ad esempio, si può arrestare un processo o un progresso." ('arrestare' can also mean 'to stop' in a general sense... For example, one can stop a process or progress.)
The passage clarifies: "'arrestare' può significare anche 'fermare' in senso generale... Ad esempio, si può arrestare un processo o un progresso." ('arrestare' can also mean 'to stop' in a general sense... For example, one can stop a process or progress.)
This sentence means 'The police had to arrest the thief.' 'Arrestare' is used in its common legal sense here.
This sentence means 'They arrested the suspect last night.' It uses the past tense of 'arrestare'.
This sentence means 'The judge ordered to arrest the man.' It demonstrates 'arrestare' in an infinitive form after another verb.
La polizia ha dovuto ___ il traffico per far passare l'ambulanza.
In this context, 'bloccare' (to block) is the most appropriate verb to mean stopping traffic. While 'fermarsi' (to stop oneself) and 'impedire' (to prevent) are related, 'bloccare' specifically refers to actively stopping movement.
Il giudice ha deciso di ___ l'indagato per ulteriori accertamenti.
Here, 'arrestare' (to arrest) is the correct choice as it refers to detaining someone by legal authority, which is what a judge would order for further investigation.
Le forze dell'ordine sono riuscite a ___ il sospetto dopo un lungo inseguimento.
After a chase, the police would 'arrestare' (to arrest) the suspect, meaning to seize them by legal authority.
Il suono improvviso ha fatto ___ il mio cuore per un momento.
'Fermarsi' (to stop oneself) is the correct verb when referring to one's heart briefly stopping due to shock. 'Battere' means to beat, 'accelerare' to accelerate, and 'rallentare' to slow down.
Per evitare ulteriori danni, è stato necessario ___ la diffusione delle notizie false.
In this context, 'arrestare' can also mean to stop or halt the spread of something. It implies actively putting an end to it.
Il malfunzionamento ha causato l'improvviso ___ della produzione.
'Blocco' (blockage, halt) is the most fitting noun here to describe the sudden cessation of production due to a malfunction.
The police arrested the suspect.
The authorities stopped the traffic.
The progress of the project was halted.
Read this aloud:
Perché la polizia ha arrestato l'uomo?
Focus: arrestato
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
In che modo si può arrestare la diffusione di una malattia?
Focus: diffusione
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
È stato necessario arrestare l'auto improvvisamente per evitare un incidente.
Focus: improvvisamente
Tu as dit :
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The police managed to arrest the fugitive after a long chase.
The judge issued a warrant to arrest those responsible for tax fraud.
Despite their efforts, the police were unable to arrest all members of the gang.
Read this aloud:
Vorrei chiedere perché hanno deciso di arrestare quel particolare individuo.
Focus: arrestare, individuo
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
Sei a conoscenza dei motivi che hanno portato all'arresto dei manifestanti?
Focus: conoscenza, arresto, manifestanti
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
Credi che arrestare i colpevoli sia sufficiente a risolvere il problema della criminalità?
Focus: arrestare, colpevoli, criminalità
Tu as dit :
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/ 42 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Arrestare means to legally stop or seize a person, usually by police.
- to stop
- to seize
- to arrest
Contenu associé
Plus de mots sur law
accertamento
B2The act of verifying or investigating.
accusa
B1A charge or claim of wrongdoing.
accusare
B1To claim that someone has done something illegal or wrong.
adempimento
C1the carrying out of a duty, promise, or rule
ammissibile
B2Admissible, allowable, or acceptable.
appello
B1A serious or urgent request.
assassinio
B2A murder or assassination.
assoluzione
C1formal release from guilt
assolvere
B2To absolve, acquit, or perform a duty.
attenuante
C1A factor that lessens the severity of guilt
