How to Say Stop in French

Co-authored by Lorenzo Garriga

Last Updated: June 16, 2022

There are a few ways to say "stop" in French, depending on what you mean. In both France and Canada, the word 'stop' has been adopted into the language, despite it being an English word. However, the french word "arrêter" is more commonly used. See below for some examples of specific situations and the best word(s) to use.

1

Learn the verb for "to stop".

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It is arrêter (ah-reh-tay). It is conjugated as follows:
- j'arrête - I stop
- tu arrêtes - you (singular familiar) stop
- il arrête - he stops
- nous arrêtons - we stop
- vous arrêtez - you (plural and/or unfamiliar) stop
- ils arrêtent - they stop.

2

Know what to look for on a stop sign.

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Typically, you'll find one of the following options:
- Arrête
- Stop (sometimes anglicized in both Europe and Quebec).

3

Ask someone to stop doing something.

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Try the following:
- "Ne faites pas ça" or "arrête ça" – literally, "don't do that", or stop that!
- Ça suffit ! – that's enough!
- Arrête ! (Note that if writing it, the punctuation point involves a space, which is French punctuation.)
- "Stop!" - said with a French intonation.

4

Use "halte" to put a stop to something.

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For example: "It is time to put a stop to this conversation. " would be "il est temps de dire halte à cette conversation".
- "Halte" also describes a stopping place.

5

Know when to use "interrompre."

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6

Express when something is enough.

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Both of these words express the sentiment of there being enough and no need to add more.

7

Stop a thief.

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It is "Au voleur !".

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How do I say "don't worry" in French?

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"Ne vous inquiétez pas."

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How do I say I'm sad in French?

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Je suis triste.

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How do I say "Can you stop please?"?

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"Arrête-toi, s'il te plaît?", or more formally, "Arrêtez-vous, s'il vous plaît?" .

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Tips

Practice the words in various sentences to understand how to use them in different contexts.

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To ask someone to "stop talking", say "taisez-vous".

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For a transport service that travels "non-stop", use the word "direct".

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