やめる・止める・已める・廃めるyameru[0]heiban (flat)
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto stop (an activity); to cease; to discontinue; to end; to quit
- 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.
- 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


