止まる

This is a great question! “止まる” (tomaru) is an intransitive verb, meaning the action happens on its own or to the subject without a direct object. Think of it as 'something stops.' For example, “電車が止まる。” (Densha ga tomaru.) means 'The train stops.'

On the other hand, “止める” (tomeru) is a transitive verb. This means someone or something is performing the action on a direct object. Think of it as 'to stop something.' For example, “私は電車を止める。” (Watashi wa densha o tomeru.) means 'I stop the train.'

It's a common pair of verbs in Japanese, so paying attention to whether the action is self-stopping or performed by an agent is key.

Yes, absolutely! While it often refers to objects or vehicles stopping, it can also be used for people. For example, if someone stops walking, you could say “彼は急に止まった。” (Kare wa kyū ni tomatta.) meaning 'He suddenly stopped (walking/moving).'

It emphasizes the cessation of movement or action, whether it's an object or a person.

Yes, there are a few, and their usage depends on the context. For instance, “止める” (tomeru) is the transitive counterpart we just discussed.

You might also encounter “停止する” (teishi suru), which is more formal and often used for things like machinery or operations stopping. “止まる” is more versatile and common in everyday conversation for a variety of stopping actions.

The polite form of “止まる” is “止まります” (tomarimasu).

Remember, to make a verb polite in Japanese (masu form), you usually change the u-ending to an i-ending and add “ます” (masu). So, “とまる” (tomaru) becomes “とまります” (tomarimasu).

The past tense of “止まる” is “止まった” (tomatta). This is the plain past form.

If you want the polite past tense, it would be “止まりました” (tomarimashita).

Yes, that's a perfect use case! You would say: “車が信号で止まる。” (Kuruma ga shingou de tomaru.) which means 'The car stops at the traffic light.'

Since the car stops on its own (or due to the light), it's an intransitive action.

Since “止まる” is intransitive, it's a bit tricky to directly say 'Please stop' to a person as an command using this verb. If you want something to stop on its own, you might use the -te kudasai form, like “止まってください。” (Tomatte kudasai.) for 'Please stop (the action/movement),' but this is generally for when you want the subject to cease its own action.

If you want to tell someone to stop something else, you'd use the transitive “止める” (tomeru): “止めてください。” (Tomete kudasai.) for 'Please stop (it/something).'

If you just want someone to stop their own movement, “止まってください” is acceptable, but “やめてください” (Yamete kudasai - Please quit/stop an activity) is also very common.

Yes, absolutely! This is a very common usage. You would say: “雨が止まる。” (Ame ga tomaru.) meaning 'The rain stops.' or “雪が止まる。” (Yuki ga tomaru.) meaning 'The snow stops.'

It emphasizes the cessation of the precipitation.

The plain negative form of “止まる” is “止まらない” (tomaranai).

For the polite negative form, it's “止まりません” (tomarimasen).

A good trick for many Japanese intransitive/transitive pairs ending in -aru/-eru is to remember that the '-aru' verbs often indicate an action that 'occurs' or 'happens' on its own (intransitive), while the '-eru' verbs indicate an action that 'causes' something to happen (transitive).

So, “止まる” (tomaru) is 'stops (by itself),' and “止める” (tomeru) is 'stops (something else).'

Practice with example sentences for both to solidify the difference in your mind!