Japanese word of the day: 止まる (Tomaru)

What does 止まる (Tomaru) mean?

止まる (Tomaru) (う-verb, intransitive) – To stop; to come to a halt; to pause; to stay (the night). This verb is used when something or someone stops moving, comes to a standstill, or pauses naturally. It can also mean “to stay” or “to remain” in a place, especially when talking about spending the night.

Kanji details for 止

Character: 止 — stop, halt
Radical: stop 止

Example sentences with 止まる (Tomaru)

• 電車が駅で止まります。
  (Densha ga eki de tomarimasu.)
  🚉 The train stops at the station.

• 突然、雨が止まりました。
  (Totsuzen, ame ga tomarimashita.)
  🌧️ Suddenly, the rain stopped.

• ここで少し止まってください。
  (Koko de sukoshi tomatte kudasai.)
  🛑 Please stop here for a moment.

Confused about how to conjugate 止まる (Tomaru)?
Our conjugation tables can help.

止まる (Tomaru) in context

止まる is a basic verb you’ll use any time something comes to a stop, whether it’s a vehicle, a person, or even the rain. It’s intransitive, meaning the subject itself stops (as opposed to 止める, tomeru, which means “to stop something” and is transitive). You’ll also use 止まる when talking about staying overnight somewhere, like a hotel or a friend’s house.

A quick tip: Use 止まる for things that stop by themselves, and 止める when you are the one stopping something else.

Whether you’re waiting for a bus, describing a break in the weather, or planning to stay over with friends, 止まる is the essential word for coming to a stop in Japanese.