What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of お願い (a request or favor), dakara (because or so) and yamete (the imperative or te-form of "to stop").
Which one should you use?
The phrase やめて can stand alone to mean "stop it." However, when you use the full phrase お願いだからやめて, it functions more as "I'm begging you, so stop."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form お願いだからやめて is informal and should be used with friends, family or people of lower social status. To make the plea more polite and suitable for speaking to someone you are not close with, you can use お願いだからやめてください. Other ways to refuse include the polite 駄目です, which means "It's not acceptable" or "It's forbidden," and the informal 嫌だよ, which means "I don't want to" or "I dislike it."
How does it change in a sentence?
The word やめて is the te-form of the verb yameru, and in this context, it is used as a soft command or a plea.
How do you pronounce it?
onegai dakara yamete
Did you know?
- The word お願い is often accompanied by the gesture of rubbing one's palms together, which historically mimics a prayer to a deity.
- If you use お願いだからやめて in a professional setting, it can actually make you seem less professional because it sounds overly emotional or desperate.
- The verb やめる (yameru), used in やめて, can mean both 'to stop an action' and 'to quit a job' or 'to resign'.
Examples in context
- 十回も言ってるよ、本当にやめて。I've told you ten times, please stop for real.
- さっきの冗談やめてくれませんか。Could you please stop the joke you made earlier?
- お願いだからやめて。onegai dakara yamete.Please, just stop.
- そんなの、お願いだからやめて！sonna no, onegai dakara yamete!That's too much, please stop!
- 冗談でも、お願いだからやめてよ。joudan demo, onegai dakara yamete yo.Even if it's a joke, please stop it.
Example conversation
Ren is teasing Misaki about a secret, and she wants him to stop.
- 蓮 Ren美咲、これ知ってる？Misaki, kore shitteru?Misaki, do you know this?
- 美咲 Misakiお願いだからやめて、蓮。onegai dakara yamete, Ren.Please stop, Ren.
- 蓮 Renだって面白いんだもん。datte omoshiroi n da mon.But it's so funny.
- 美咲 Misakiもう、本当にやめて！mou, hontou ni yamete!Seriously, stop it!
