How to Say Stop in Spanish

Conjugating the Verb "Parar"

Use the infinitive parar to say "to stop." Just as in English, you may also have situations where you would use the infinitive in Spanish. For example, the phrase "sin parar" means "without stopping." You also use the infinitive when you combine parar with another verb. For example, "Ella puede parar por mi casa" means "She can stop by my house."

Identify the verb stem so you can conjugate the verb. Parar is a regular -ar verb. To conjugate Spanish verbs, you must first remove the -ar ending. Then you'll add the appropriate ending to the verb stem par-, depending on the tense, gender, and number of people doing the stopping.

Use present tense for a current stop. In Spanish, the present tense is not just used for things currently happening. You'll also use the present tense to talk about habitual actions or things taking place in the immediate future. For example, you might say "para el carro," or "stop the car." Yo paro: I stop. Tú paras: You stop. Él/ella/usted para: He/she stops; you stop. Nosotros/-as paramos: We stop. Vosotros/-as paráis: You all stop. Ellos/ellas/ustedes paran: They/you all stop.

Talk about stopping that used to happen using the imperfect tense. Spanish speakers typically use the imperfect tense when talking about something that was previously happening before an interruption. This tense is also used for past habitual actions. For example, you might say "Parábamos el carro para un gato para cruzar la calle," or "We were stopping the car for a cat to cross the street." Yo paraba: I was stopping. Tú parabas: You were stopping. Él/ella/usted paraba: He/she was stopping; you were stopping. Nosotros/-as parábamos: We were stopping. Vosotros/-as parabais: You all were stopping. Ellos/ellas/ustedes paraban: They/you all were stopping.

Switch to the preterite tense for stopping in the past. Anytime you're referring to something that happened entirely in the past, you want to use the preterite tense. For example, you might say "Él paró su carro en el cruce," or "He stopped his car at the intersection." Yo paré: I stopped. Tú paraste: You stopped. Él/ella/usted paró: He/she/you stopped. Nosotros/-as paramos: We stopped. Vosotros/-as parasteis: You all stopped. Ellos/ellas/ustedes pararon: They/you all stopped.

Use the future tense to talk about a future stop. Unlike English, the simple future tense in Spanish is just one word. Use this tense if you want to talk about something that will happen further off in the future. For example, you might say "Pararé el carro para desayunar," or "I will stop the car for breakfast." Yo pararé: I will stop. Tú pararás: You will stop. Él/ella/usted parará: He/she/you will stop. Nosotros/-as pararemos: We will stop. Vosotros/-as pararéis: You all will stop. Ellos/ellas/ustedes pararán: They/you all will stop.

Using the Noun "Parada"

Refer to train or bus stops as "paradas." The noun form of the verb parar is typically used to talk about stops or stations used in public transportation. You can also add a descriptor. For example, "parada de autobús" means "bus stop." For example: "La siguiente parada es Bruselas y la última Copenhague." ("The next station is Brussels and the last station is Copenhagen.")

Use parada in sports to talk about a save. When a goalkeeper makes a save, or a defender prevents a goal from happening, you may call this a "stop" in English. Similarly, in Spanish you can call it a "parada." For example: "Su parada excelente ganó el partido." ("His excellent save [stop] won the game.")

Refer to a broken machine as "parada." If a car or truck is broken down, you might refer to it as "parada," or "stopped." This word can also be used to refer to other types of machinery that are broken or out of service for any reason. For example: "La hélice está parada." ("Our propeller is stopped/jammed.")

Distinguish between "parada" and "parado." Parada is a noun, but parado is an adjective that can also be used to describe something that is stopped or standing still. Since parado changes form to match the gender and number of the noun it modifies, it can also be parada, but it isn't always translated in the same sense. For example, "ha parado de llover" would be translated as "the rain has stopped." But if you said "el portero estaba parado al lado de la portería," that would mean "The goalie was standing next to the goal."

Learning Other Spanish Words for "Stop"

Use "paro" for a stoppage. If you want to talk about the stopping or cessation of activity, you can say "paro." You may recognize this as the first-person present conjugation of the verb parar. Paro is most often used to talk about a workers' strike or labor stoppage. For example: "Los trabajadores de la refinería hicieron un paro." (The workers at the refinery went on strike.) In Spain, paro is also used to mean unemployment. For example: "El paro subió en Valencia el pasado mes de marzo." ("Unemployment rose in Valencia last March.")

Shout "¡Basta ya!" to tell someone to "Stop it!" This interjection is more literally translated as "That's enough!" but it's frequently used to tell someone to knock it off and stop doing whatever they're doing. "Para ya!" is another interjection you can use to tell someone to stop doing something.

Tell someone to stop with the phrase "dejar de." The verb dejar is more accurately translated as "to leave," but when used with "de" as a verb phrase, it means to stop, quit, or give something up. The verb dejar is a regular -ar verb, so it is conjugated the same way parar is. For example: "Dejé de fumar hace un año." ("I quit smoking a year ago.")

Use "¡Alto!" as in interjection meaning "Stop!" The word alto can mean something more like "halt," giving it a little more urgency than some of the other Spanish words that mean "stop." The word appears on stop signs in Mexico. Alto is more frequently used in a law enforcement or military context.

Say "descanso" if you're talking about a break or pause. The word descanso is literally translated as "rest," but can also be used in contexts where you would more likely say "stop" in English. For example: "Yo no descanso durante el dia." ("I don't stop during the day" or "I don't rest during the day.") You can also say "sin descanso," which literally means "without rest" but can be translated as "non-stop."

Switch to "estancia" if you're talking about a longer stop or overnight stay. While descanso is typically only used for a short break, you can use the word estancia for a longer visit. This might be translated as "stop" in English. For example: "Le deseamos una agradable estancia." ("We wish him (or her) a very enjoyable stop" or "We wish him (or her) a very enjoyable stay.")