やめる・止める・已める・廃めるyameru[0]heiban (flat)

JLPT N4approx.Common
Definitions
  1. ichidan verb, transitive verbto stop (an activity); to cease; to discontinue; to end; to quit
    キャシーは花はなを摘つむのをやめました。↗
    Cathy stopped picking flowers.
  2. ichidan verb, transitive verbto cancel; to abandon; to give up; to abolish; to abstain; to refrain
Conjugation
Dictionary formやめる
Polite (masu)やめます
Negative (nai)やめない
polite (masen)やめません
classical zu / nuやめず・やめぬ
Past (ta)やめた
polite (mashita)やめました
Past negative (nakatta)やめなかった
polite (masen deshita)やめませんでした
Te formやめて
Potentialやめられる
Passiveやめられる
Causativeやめさせる
Causative passiveやめさせられる
Conditional (ba)やめれば
taraやめたら
Volitionalやめよう
polite (mashou)やめましょう
Imperativeやめろ

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym停止ていしWrittenSino-Japanese word for movement or activity coming to a stop, mostly for machines and formal contexts; 「やめる」 stresses a person choosing to quit.
  • Synonym中止ちゅうしWrittenWritten/formal: an event or activity being stopped partway or called off; very common in notices, e.g. 「試合中止」.
  • Synonym打ち切るうちきるNeutralTo end something ongoing partway through, e.g. 「交渉を打ち切る」; 「やめる」 is broader and simply stresses no longer doing it.
  • SynonymストップCasualLoanword for stop, common in casual speech, e.g. 「ちょっとストップ」.
  • SynonymよすCasualColloquial: to drop it or give it up; often used to tell someone to stop, e.g. 「よしなさい」.
  • Synonym終了しゅうりょうNeutralSomething coming fully to an end; common in both speech and writing, e.g. 「受付終了」. 「やめる」 does not imply completion.
  • Synonym打ち切りうちきりNeutralNoun for ending something partway, e.g. 「連載打ち切り」 (a serial being cut short).
  • Related終えるおえるNeutralTo finish or complete something, stressing it gets done; with 「やめる」 the activity may end unfinished.
  • Related中断ちゅうだんNeutralAn ongoing activity being temporarily broken off; it may well resume afterwards.
  • Related休止きゅうしWrittenWritten/formal: activity pausing for a while; the emphasis is on suspension, not giving up.
  • Related了するりょうするFormalFormal written word for completing or understanding something, e.g. 「任務を了する」; very rarely used.
  • Related取りやめるとりやめるNeutralTo cancel a planned event or undertaking, e.g. 「会議を取りやめる」.
  • Antonym始めるはじめるNeutralAntonym: to start or begin doing something, e.g. 「勉強を始める」.

Default to 「止める(やめる)」 for actively quitting or giving up an activity. Use 「中止」 or 「取りやめる」 for cancelled events, 「中断」 or 「休止」 for a pause, 「よす」 to tell someone to stop, and 「終える」 when something is completed; the opposite is 「始める」. 「停止」 fits machines and formal notices, 「打ち切る」 cutting things short, 「終了」 full completion, 「ストップ」 casual speech.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. 【止とめる、已やめる】完まっとうせずに終おえる。それまでしていたことをしなくなる。
  2. 【止とめる、已やめる】予定よていや計画けいかくなどを実施じっししないことにする。中止ちゅうしする。撤回てっかいする。あきらめる。
  3. 【止とめる、已やめる】しないでいる。ひかえる。よす。
  4. 【止とめる、已やめる】(お世辞せじや冗談じょうだん、悪口わるぐちなどを)言いうのをとめる。
  5. 【辞やめる、罷やめる】職しょくや任務にんむから去さる。
  6. 【止とめる、廃やめる】制度せいどや習慣しゅうかんをなくす。
English equivalents
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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