What does 止 mean in Japanese?
止 means to stop or halt. The most important homophone for learners is 泊まる (tomaru, to stay overnight) — covered in seed_id 182 — which sounds identical to 止まる (tomaru, to stop). The key to telling them apart in writing is the radical: 止 has no water radical, while 泊 has 氵 on the left.
止 also appears on everyday signage as 禁止 (kinshi, prohibited / no ___), one of the most useful kanji compound words for reading public notices in Japan. 立入禁止 (tachiri kinshi, no entry), 撮影禁止 (satsuei kinshi, no photography) — seeing 禁止 means stop or forbidden.
Reading
On’yomi: シ (shi)
Kun’yomi: と-まる (to-maru), と-める (to-meru), と-まり (to-mari), や-む (ya-mu), や-める (ya-meru)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 止 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | stop, halt |
| Stroke Count | 4 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
止まる (intransitive): something stops on its own — バスが止まる (the bus stops), 時計が止まった (the clock stopped). 止める (transitive): someone stops something — 車を止める (stop / park a car), 話を止める (stop the conversation). やむ (yamu) is used specifically for natural phenomena stopping: 雨がやむ (the rain stops), 痛みがやむ (the pain stops). 禁止 (kinshi) is the formal word for prohibition that appears on signs throughout Japan.
Common Words
- 止まる（とまる / tomaru） — to stop (intransitive)
- 止める（とめる / tomeru） — to stop something (transitive); to park
- 禁止（きんし / kinshi） — prohibition, banned, no ___
- やむ（やむ / yamu） — to stop (of rain, pain, etc.)
- やめる（やめる / yameru） — to quit, to stop doing something
- 中止（ちゅうし / chuushi） — cancellation, suspension
Example Sentences
-
バスが止まりました。
バスがとまりました。 / Basu ga tomarimashita.
The bus stopped.
-
ここは駐車禁止です。
ここはちゅうしゃきんしです。 / Koko wa chuusha kinshi desu.
Parking is prohibited here.
-
雨がやんだので、散歩に行きました。
あめがやんだので、さんぽにいきました。 / Ame ga yanda node, sanpo ni ikimashita.
Since the rain stopped, I went for a walk.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
The homophone pair 止まる / 泊まる is the top priority for this kanji. Both read とまる. The radical is the only written clue: 止 (no water radical) = to stop; 泊 (with 氵) = to stay overnight. Covered in seed_id 182, 泊まる connects directly back to the Day 3 travel vocabulary.
禁止 (kinshi, prohibited) = 禁 (forbidden) + 止 (stop). This compound is everywhere in Japan: 立入禁止 (no entry), 撮影禁止 (no photography), 駐車禁止 (no parking), 飲食禁止 (no eating or drinking). Being able to read 禁止 is a practical reading skill from day one in Japan.
やむ (yamu) and やめる (yameru) cover the stopping of natural phenomena and deliberate quitting respectively. 雨がやむ (the rain stops) — natural stopping; 仕事をやめる (quit a job), タバコをやめる (quit smoking) — deliberate decision to stop doing something. 止める (tomeru) is for physically halting an object or action, while やめる is for choosing to discontinue a habit, activity, or situation.
中止 (chuushi, cancellation / suspension) = 中 (middle/during) + 止 (stop). イベントが中止になった (the event was cancelled). Common in news and announcements.
Summary
止 means to stop or halt, with 止まる (intransitive) and 止める (transitive) as the core verb pair, 禁止 as the most useful signage compound, and a critical homophone link to 泊まる (to stay overnight).