足止め・足留め・足留|あしどめashidome[0]heiban (flat)
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Which spelling to use
足止め足止め is the most common written form and the recommended choice for learners; it is the form you are most likely to encounter.
足留め足留め is a rarely used variant of 足止め. You may encounter it, but learners should normally choose 足止め instead.
足留足留 is a rarely used form written entirely in kanji. It is less common than 足止め, so learners should normally choose 足止め instead.
Definitions
- noun, suru verb, transitive verbpreventing (someone) from leaving; confinement; keeping indoors; inducement to stay
- noun, suru verb, transitive verbbeing stranded; grounding
- noun, suru verb, transitive verblevel dyeing
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 足止めする（あしどめする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 足止めします（あしどめします） |
| Negative (nai) | 足止めしない（あしどめしない） |
| polite (masen) | 足止めしません（あしどめしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 足止めせず・足止めせぬ（あしどめせず・あしどめせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 足止めした（あしどめした） |
| polite (mashita) | 足止めしました（あしどめしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 足止めしなかった（あしどめしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 足止めしませんでした（あしどめしませんでした） |
| Te form | 足止めして（あしどめして） |
| Potential | 足止めできる（あしどめできる） |
| Passive | 足止めされる（あしどめされる） |
| Causative | 足止めさせる（あしどめさせる） |
| Causative passive | 足止めさせられる（あしどめさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 足止めすれば（あしどめすれば） |
| tara | 足止めしたら（あしどめしたら） |
| Volitional | 足止めしよう（あしどめしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 足止めしましょう（あしどめしましょう） |
| Imperative | 足止めしろ（あしどめしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym禁足きんそくNeutralForbidding someone to go out, typically as a punishment. 「足止め」covers being kept in or stranded for any reason, not only as discipline.
- Related拘束こうそくNeutralBroader term: restraining someone or restricting their freedom, including detention. 「足止め」focuses on keeping a person from leaving or being stranded.
- Related監禁かんきんNeutralDepriving someone of freedom and locking them up in a place. 「足止め」just means a person cannot leave or is stranded — they are not necessarily confined.
- Related抑留よくりゅうWrittenWritten term for detaining foreign nationals or ships, as in 「シベリア抑留」; found mostly in legal and historical contexts.
- Antonym解放かいほうNeutralAntonym: freeing someone or something from restraint or oppression. It stands opposite to 「足止め」, which holds people in place.
- Antonym放免ほうめんNeutralAntonym: releasing someone from custody, e.g. a suspect found innocent or a prisoner who has served their term; the opposite of holding people with 「足止め」.
Use 「足止め」 for keeping someone from leaving or leaving them stranded, as in 「台風で足止めを食う」. For restraint or restriction of freedom say 「拘束」, for being kept indoors say 「禁足」, for locking someone up say 「監禁」; the opposite is 「解放」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
