How to say "quit" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- ichidan verb, transitive verbCovers quitting an activity, habit, or endeavor — smoking, a club, a plan. It is the everyday word for stopping something you have been doing; it is not the usual choice for leaving a job.
- 辞めるやめるichidan verb, transitive verbThe word for quitting a job, position, or post — resigning from a company or leaving employment. When English 'quit' means leaving one's job, this is the natural choice.
- godan verb, transitive verbA blunter, more decided way of quitting or dropping an activity or practice — ceasing or desisting from doing something. It corresponds to the activity sense of 'quit', like やめる, but sounds more curt and conclusive.
- godan verb, intransitive verbMeans resigning or retiring from a position, in the manner of 辞める, as in quitting a post. However, 辞める is the ordinary word for this sense; どく is only a marginal option for everyday use.
- 辞すじすgodan verb, transitive verbTo resign from, step down from, or quit a position or office. Like 辞める it is confined to the job-and-position sense of 'quit', but has a more formal, written feel.
For quitting a job or resigning use 「辞める」; for quitting an activity or habit use 「やめる」; 「よす」 is a blunter way to stop doing something; 「どく」 and 「辞す」 both concern resigning from a position.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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