停める
停める en 30 secondes
- 停める (tomeru) means to stop or park a vehicle/machine.
- It is a transitive verb, meaning you are the one doing the stopping.
- It is specifically used for things with wheels or engines (cars, bikes, taxis).
- It is different from 止める (general stop) and 泊める (stay overnight).
The verb 停める (tomeru) is a transitive Ichidan verb primarily used to describe the action of bringing a vehicle, machine, or moving object to a halt, or more specifically, to park it. While the Japanese language has several verbs pronounced as 'tomeru', the use of the kanji 停 (which also appears in 停車 - stopping a train, or 停留所 - a bus stop) signals a specific focus on mechanical transport or temporary cessation of movement in a designated spot.
- Transitivity
- This is a transitive verb (他動詞), meaning it requires a direct object marked by the particle 'o' (を). You are the agent stopping the object.
- Kanji Nuance
- The kanji 停 specifically relates to 'stopping' in the context of transport and machinery. It implies a controlled stop.
道のわきに車を停める。(I will stop/park the car on the side of the road.)
In everyday Japanese, especially at the A2 level, you will encounter this most frequently when talking about bicycles, cars, or taxis. It is the act of 'parking' or 'pulling over'. Unlike the general 'stop' (止める), which can apply to habits, people, or water, 停める is the 'driver's verb'.
ここに自転車を停めてもいいですか? (Is it okay to park my bike here?)
Understanding the distinction between 停める and its intransitive counterpart 停まる (tomaru - to come to a stop) is crucial. 停める is the action you take; 停まる is what the car does. When you see a 'No Parking' sign, it often uses the noun form 駐車 (chuusha), but the verbal instruction would involve 停める.
- Physicality
- It involves a physical movement coming to a rest. It is rarely used for abstract concepts like 'stopping a thought'.
タクシーを停めてください。(Please stop a taxi [for me].)
In technical manuals, 停める is used for halting the operation of heavy machinery or production lines. It suggests a formal 'shutdown' or 'pause' in a mechanical process. For learners, mastering this word allows for precise communication in urban environments where parking and transportation are daily topics.
エンジンを停める。(To stop/turn off the engine.)
- Social Context
- Using the correct kanji shows a high level of literacy, as '止める' is the 'safe' but less specific choice.
Using 停める correctly requires an understanding of its grammatical structure and the specific nouns it pairs with. As an Ichidan verb, its conjugation is straightforward, but its application is specialized.
Grammatical Structure
The basic pattern is: [Subject] が [Object] を 停める. The object is almost always a vehicle or a machine. For example, 'Watashi ga kuruma o tomeru' (I stop the car).
大型トラックを停めるのは難しい。(Stopping/parking a large truck is difficult.)
- Conjugation Table
- Dictionary: 停める (tomeru)
Polite: 停めます (tomemasu)
Te-form: 停めて (tomete)
Negative: 停めない (tomenai)
Potential: 停められる (tomerareru)
When giving directions to a taxi driver, you will use the 'te-form' or the 'te-kudasai' form. 'Koko de tomete kudasai' (Please stop here). Even though the driver is the one physically braking, you are the one 'causing' the stop through your instruction, hence the transitive 停める.
バイクを駐輪場に停めた。(I parked my motorcycle in the bicycle/motorcycle parking lot.)
Another common usage is for machinery. If a factory worker needs to stop a conveyor belt, they would use 停める. This implies a deliberate action to cease the mechanical operation. It is distinct from 'cutting the power' (切る), though the result is similar.
- Common Objects
- 車 (Car), タクシー (Taxi), 自転車 (Bicycle), バイク (Motorbike), 機械 (Machine), エレベーター (Elevator).
エレベーターを各階に停める。(To stop the elevator at every floor.)
When used with 'place' particles, use 'ni' to indicate the destination of the stop (parking) and 'de' to indicate the location where the action of stopping occurs. 'Parking lot ni tomeru' vs 'Street de tomeru'.
時計の針を停める。(To stop the hands of a clock - poetic or mechanical context.)
You will encounter 停める in various real-world scenarios in Japan, primarily centered around transportation, urban navigation, and workplace safety.
1. In a Taxi
This is perhaps the most common place for a traveler to use or hear this word. When you want the driver to pull over, you say 'Koko de tomete kudasai'. The driver might respond with 'Doko ni tomemasu ka?' (Where should I stop/park?).
信号を過ぎたところで停めてください。(Please stop just past the traffic light.)
- Key Phrase
- 端に停める (Hashi ni tomeru) - To pull over to the side.
2. Parking Lots and Signage
While formal signs use '駐車' (Chuusha), attendants at a parking lot (parking garage) will use 停める when directing you. 'Soko ni tomete kudasai' (Please park there). You will also see it on instructional stickers for bicycles.
ここに車を停めないでください。(Please do not park your car here.)
3. Public Announcements
On trains or buses, the conductor might use related terms, but when a bus driver explains why they are stopping the vehicle temporarily (perhaps due to traffic), they might use 停める in the context of 'stopping the bus'.
- Announcement Context
- 安全のためにバスを一度停めます。(Stopping the bus once for safety.)
4. Industrial and Office Settings
If you work in a Japanese company with machinery, '停める' is a vital safety word. 'Kikai o tomete!' (Stop the machine!) is a standard emergency command. It is also used for stopping office equipment like large printers or elevators during maintenance.
修理のためにエスカレーターを停めています。(The escalator is stopped for repairs.)
Because the Japanese language has several homophones for 'tomeru', learners often struggle with choosing the correct kanji and understanding the specific scope of 停める.
1. Confusing 停める with 止める
This is the most frequent error. 止める (tomeru) is the general term for 'stopping' anything—a person, a habit, a flow of water, or a sound. While you can use 止める for cars in casual writing, 停める is the specific, correct kanji for vehicles. Using 停める for 'stopping a bad habit' (like smoking) is incorrect; that must be 止める (or 辞める).
❌ タバコを停める (Incorrect kanji)
✅ タバコを止める (Correct: To quit smoking)
- Rule of Thumb
- If it has wheels or an engine, use 停める. If it's an action, habit, or general motion, use 止める.
2. Mixing up Transitive and Intransitive
Learners often confuse 停める (tomeru - transitive) with 停まる (tomaru - intransitive). Remember: You (the agent) 停める the car. The car (the subject) 停まる at the light.
3. Confusion with 留める (tomeru)
留める (tomeru) means to fix something in place, like using a paperclip or a button, or to keep something in mind (心に留める). It is never used for vehicles.
❌ ボタンを停める (Incorrect)
✅ ボタンを留める (Correct: To fasten a button)
4. Confusion with 泊める (tomeru)
泊める (tomeru) means to 'lodge' someone or let them stay overnight. While it sounds the same, the kanji and meaning are entirely different. You 停める your car, but you 泊める your friend at your house.
- Memory Aid
- 泊 has the 'water' radical and relates to staying by the 'water' (port/inn). 停 has the 'person' and 'booth' (亭) radicals, like a person at a rest stop.
To truly master 停める, it is helpful to compare it with other words that share the same semantic field of 'stopping' or 'parking'.
1. 駐車する (Chuusha suru)
This is the formal, Sino-Japanese (Kango) word for 'to park'. While 停める is used in daily conversation ('I'll park the car'), 駐車する is used on signs, in legal contexts, and in more formal speech. 駐車 usually implies leaving the vehicle for a longer period.
ここに駐車しないでください。(Please do not park here - Formal/Signage.)
- Nuance
- 停める is the action of stopping; 駐車 is the state of being parked.
2. 停車する (Teisha suru)
This means 'to stop a vehicle' (specifically a train or car) for a short time, such as to let passengers out. It is the formal version of 停める when the stop is brief.
3. 止める (Yameru)
Note the different reading. When written as 止める but read as yameru, it means to quit or abandon an action (like quitting a job). This is a common source of confusion for beginners because the kanji can be the same as 止める (tomeru).
仕事を辞める (To quit a job - usually uses 辞 instead of 止.)
4. 抑える (Osaeru)
This means to suppress or hold back, such as stopping an emotion or keeping a price down. It's a 'stop' in the sense of 'control'.
- Comparison
- 停める: Physical vehicle stop.
抑える: Emotional/Abstract suppression.
5. 中止する (Chuushi suru)
To cancel or discontinue an event or plan. If a race is 'stopped' due to rain, you use 中止, not 停める.
How Formal Is It?
Niveau de difficulté
Grammaire à connaître
Transitive vs Intransitive
Te-form for requests
Potential form
Noun + o + Verb
Exemples par niveau
ここに車を停めてください。
Please stop the car here.
Uses ~te kudasai for a polite request.
自転車をあそこに停めます。
I will park my bicycle over there.
Direct object bicycle marked with 'o'.
タクシーを停めましょう。
Let's stop a taxi.
Volitional form ~mashou.
バスを停めて!
Stop the bus!
Informal imperative form.
ここで停めてもいいですか?
Is it okay to stop here?
~te mo ii desu ka for permission.
車を停めて、中に入りました。
I stopped the car and went inside.
Te-form used to connect actions.
どこに停めますか?
Where will you stop/park?
Interrogative sentence.
お父さんは車を停めました。
My father stopped the car.
Simple past tense.
道のわきに車を停めました。
I stopped the car on the side of the road.
Location marked with 'ni' for the result of stopping.
ここに自転車を停めないでください。
Please do not park your bicycle here.
Negative request ~nai de kudasai.
広い場所に車を停めたいです。
I want to park the car in a wide space.
Desire form ~tai.
エンジンを停めて、休みましょう。
Let's stop the engine and take a rest.
Transitive use with a machine part.
タクシーを停めるのは簡単です。
Stopping a taxi is easy.
Nominalizing the verb with 'no wa'.
車を停める場所がありません。
There is no place to park the car.
Relative clause modifying 'basho'.
あそこの角で停めてください。
Please stop at that corner over there.
Specific location marked with 'de'.
トラックを停める練習をします。
I will practice stopping/parking the truck.
Noun + o + verb.
急いでいたので、適当な場所に車を停めてしまった。
Because I was in a hurry, I ended up parking the car in an unsuitable place.
~te shimau expresses regret.
機械を停める前に、スイッチを確認してください。
Before stopping the machine, please check the switch.
Verb dictionary form + mae ni.
彼は安全な場所に車を停めるように言われた。
He was told to park the car in a safe place.
Passive voice + ~you ni iu (indirect command).
エレベーターを1階に停めておいてください。
Please leave the elevator stopped at the first floor.
~te oku implies doing something in advance.
雨が降ってきたので、作業を一時的に停めた。
Since it started raining, we temporarily stopped the (mechanical) work.
Adverbial use of 'ichijiteki ni'.
車を停められるスペースを探しています。
I am looking for a space where I can park the car.
Potential form 'tomerareru'.
荷物を降ろすために、門の前に車を停めた。
I parked the car in front of the gate to unload the luggage.
~tame ni expresses purpose.
踏切の手前で一度車を停めなければなりません。
You must stop the car once before the railroad crossing.
~nakereba narimasen (obligation).
工場のラインを停めるのは、大きな損失につながる。
Stopping the factory line leads to a significant loss.
Abstract consequence of a physical stop.
無断で他人の敷地に車を停めるべきではない。
You should not park your car on someone else's property without permission.
~beki de wa nai (moral obligation).
彼は手際よく大型バスを狭いスペースに停めた。
He skillfully parked the large bus in a narrow space.
Adverb 'tegiwa yoku' describing the action.
事故を防ぐために、緊急停止ボタンで機械を停めた。
To prevent an accident, I stopped the machine with the emergency stop button.
Compound noun 'kinkyuu teishi'.
都会では車を停める場所を確保するのが一苦労だ。
In the city, securing a place to park a car is quite a struggle.
Noun phrase as a subject.
彼はわざと私の車の前に自分の車を停めて、道をふさいだ。
He intentionally parked his car in front of mine and blocked the road.
Adverb 'wazato' (on purpose).
このボタンを押すと、すべての装置を一度に停めることができます。
By pressing this button, you can stop all devices at once.
Conditional ~to + potential form.
彼は車を停めるなり、外へ飛び出していった。
As soon as he stopped the car, he rushed outside.
~nari (as soon as).
法的な規制により、この区域に車両を停めることは禁じられている。
Due to legal regulations, stopping vehicles in this area is prohibited.
Formal passive 'kinjirarete iru'.
熟練した運転手は、坂道でもスムーズに車を停めることができる。
A skilled driver can stop a car smoothly even on a slope.
Potential form in a descriptive context.
彼は自らの意志で、走り続ける人生の足を一度停めた。
By his own will, he paused the 'feet' of his life that had kept on running (metaphorical).
Metaphorical use of 'ashi o tomeru' using the vehicle kanji for stylistic effect.
その巨大なクレーンを正確な位置に停めるには、高度な技術を要する。
Stopping that giant crane at the exact position requires advanced technology.
Formal verb 'yousuru' (require).
不法投棄を取り締まるため、深夜のパトロール中に不審な車を停めた。
To crack down on illegal dumping, we stopped a suspicious car during a late-night patrol.
Compound verb 'torishimaru' and 'fushin na'.
システムに異常が検知されたため、直ちに全ラインを停める措置が取られた。
Because an anomaly was detected in the system, measures were immediately taken to stop all lines.
Formal noun 'sochi' (measures).
彼はタクシーを停める際、後方の交通状況に細心の注意を払った。
When stopping a taxi, he paid close attention to the traffic conditions behind him.
~sai (when/on the occasion of).
その映画のラストシーンで、主人公は静かに車を停め、海を見つめた。
In the final scene of the movie, the protagonist quietly stopped the car and gazed at the sea.
Narrative past tense.
物流の要所であるこの港で荷役作業を停めることは、経済的混乱を招きかねない。
Stopping cargo handling operations at this port, a key logistics hub, could potentially lead to economic chaos.
~kane-nai (might happen - negative nuance).
自動運転技術の進歩により、人間が介在せずに車両を安全に停めることが可能となった。
With the advancement of autonomous driving technology, it has become possible to stop vehicles safely without human intervention.
Formal 'kanou to natta'.
彼は、激動する時代の流れに抗うかのように、あえてその場で足を停めた。
As if resisting the flow of the turbulent times, he dared to stop his feet right there.
~ka no you ni (as if).
高精度なセンサーが障害物を検知し、ミリ単位の誤差もなく機械を停める。
High-precision sensors detect obstacles and stop the machine without even a millimeter of error.
Adverbial 'miri tan'i no gosa mo naku'.
都市計画において、いかに効率よく車両を停めるスペースを配置するかが議論の焦点となっている。
In urban planning, how to efficiently arrange spaces to park vehicles has become the focus of debate.
Embedded question 'ikani...ka'.
彼は、自らの過ちを悟った瞬間に、暴走する感情のエンジンを停めた。
The moment he realized his mistake, he stopped the engine of his runaway emotions.
Complex metaphor using 'engine'.
憲法改正の議論が紛糾し、審議を一時的に停める事態に陥った。
The debate over constitutional reform became entangled, falling into a situation where deliberations were temporarily halted.
~jitai ni ochiru (fall into a situation).
その老練な職人は、音だけで機械の不調を察知し、瞬時に稼働を停めた。
The veteran craftsman sensed the machine's malfunction just by the sound and instantaneously stopped its operation.
Noun 'kadou' (operation/running).
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
Souvent confondu avec
Expressions idiomatiques
Facile à confondre
General stop for anything.
To quit a job or activity.
To let someone stay the night.
To fix or fasten in place.
To give up (sounds slightly similar).
Structures de phrases
Comment l'utiliser
停める implies a physical stop of a vehicle or machine.
Using 停める for 'stopping a person' is unnatural.
- Using 止める for cars in formal writing.
- Confusing 停める (transitive) with 停まる (intransitive).
- Using 停める for abstract things like 'stopping a habit'.
- Writing 泊める when you mean to park.
- Using the wrong particle (e.g., using 'ga' instead of 'o' for the car).
Astuces
Particle Choice
Use 'ni' for the spot where the vehicle ends up (parking) and 'o' for the vehicle itself.
Kanji Recognition
Look for the 'person' radical on the left of 停 to remember it's an action done by a person.
Taxi Tip
Saying 'Koko de tomete kudasai' is the most natural way to ask a taxi to pull over.
Bicycles
Even for bicycles, 停める is the correct verb for parking in a lot.
Workplace
In a factory, 'Kikai o tomete' is a critical safety phrase.
Formal Writing
In reports about traffic accidents, 停める is used to describe the driver's actions.
Politeness
Use 'otome kudasai' when being very polite to a guest parking their car.
Association
Associate 停 with 'Teisha' (train stop) to remember its transport connection.
Avoid 泊める
Don't use 泊める (lodge) when you mean to park your car.
Audio Cues
Listen for the 'me' sound in 'tomemasu' to identify the transitive action.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Imagine a **Person** (亻) standing in a **Pavilion** (亭) waiting for a bus to **STOP** (停).
Origine du mot
Originally referred to a post station or a place to stop while traveling.
Contexte culturel
When asking a taxi to stop, it's polite to give the driver a little lead time.
Illegal parking of bicycles (放置自転車) is a common sight and often leads to the bike being impounded.
Trains use '停車' (teisha) for stopping at stations, which is the formal noun version of 停める.
Pratique dans la vie réelle
Contextes réels
Amorces de conversation
"どこに車を停めればいいですか?"
"近くに自転車を停める場所はありますか?"
"タクシーを停めてもらえますか?"
"ここで車を停めても大丈夫ですか?"
"機械を停める方法を教えてください。"
Sujets d'écriture
今日、どこに車(または自転車)を停めましたか?
タクシーを停める時に困ったことはありますか?
もし時間を停めることができたら、何をしますか?
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNo, it's better to use 止める (tomeru) or 呼び止める (yobitomeru) if you are calling out to them to stop.
Yes, but usually in the context of the driver stopping the train. Passengers usually hear 'tomarimasu' (intransitive).
停める is the common verb for 'to stop/park'. 駐車する is more formal and usually implies longer-term parking.
Yes, if you are stopping the mechanical movement of the clock hands.
You can say 'Chuusha kinshi' (駐車禁止) or 'Koko ni tomenai de kudasai'.
It is transitive. The intransitive version is 停まる (tomaru).
No, use 止める (止める) for liquids or flow.
Yes, it is a Jōyō kanji taught in elementary school and used daily in transport contexts.
It is an Ichidan verb: tomeru, tomemasu, tomete, tomenai.
No, use 止める (止める) for sounds or music.
Teste-toi 180 questions
/ 180 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Use 停める when you are the driver or passenger asking to stop a vehicle, or when you are parking. It is the 'mechanical' version of 'to stop'.
- 停める (tomeru) means to stop or park a vehicle/machine.
- It is a transitive verb, meaning you are the one doing the stopping.
- It is specifically used for things with wheels or engines (cars, bikes, taxis).
- It is different from 止める (general stop) and 泊める (stay overnight).
Particle Choice
Use 'ni' for the spot where the vehicle ends up (parking) and 'o' for the vehicle itself.
Kanji Recognition
Look for the 'person' radical on the left of 停 to remember it's an action done by a person.
Taxi Tip
Saying 'Koko de tomete kudasai' is the most natural way to ask a taxi to pull over.
Bicycles
Even for bicycles, 停める is the correct verb for parking in a lot.
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