请停下来
qǐng tíng xiàlai
In Chinese, "please stop" is 请停下来 (qǐng tíng xiàlai).
请停下来 is a polite request used most naturally when asking someone to stop their physical movement, such as walking, running or moving through space.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 请 (please), 停 (stop) and 下来 (down/come down), which functions as a directional complement indicating the completion or continuation of a state.
Which one should you use?
While 请停下来 is used for physical movement or stopping an action in progress, 请停止 is used for more abstract things like a behavior, a process or a noise.
How do you pronounce it?
qǐng tíng xiàlai
Did you know?
- In high-stress situations, like a person running toward danger, people often shout 住手! (Stop your hand!) instead of 'please stop'. This is a much more urgent way to command someone to cease a physical movement.
- If you are in a vehicle and want the driver to stop, you would more commonly say 师傅，靠边停 (Master, pull over to the side) rather than the literal 'please stop'.
- If you want someone to stop doing something annoying, using 请 can be perceived as sarcasm, making the request sound more like a demand.
Examples in context
- 请停下来！Please stop!
- 请你停止做这件事情。Please stop doing this.
- 停一下好吗？Could you please stop for a moment?
- 请你不要再这样做Please don't do this anymore.
- 请停下来，别再跑了。Qǐng tíng xià lái, bié zài pǎo le.Please stop, don't run anymore.
- 请停下来，休息一下吧。Qǐng tíng xià lái, xiū xí yí xià ba.Please stop and take a rest.
- 请停下来，我们现在谈谈。Qǐng tíng xià lái, wǒ men xiàn zài tán tán.Please stop, let's talk now.
Example conversation
Yuting and Zhiqiang are walking together in a park.
- 雨婷 Yuting志强，请停下来！Zhìqiáng, qǐng tíng xià lái!Zhiqiang, please stop!
- 志强 Zhiqiang怎么了，雨婷？Zěnme le, Yǔtíng?What's wrong, Yuting?
- 雨婷 Yuting你看那朵花多漂亮。Nǐ kàn nà duǒ huā duō piàoliang.Look how beautiful that flower is.
- 志强 Zhiqiang真的，非常漂亮。Zhēnde, fēicháng piàoliang.True, it is very beautiful.
