arrêter
/a.ʁɛ.te/
In French, the English phrase 'quit' is translated as arrêter. If unsure, use arrêter. Wiktionary also lists abandonner.
Meaning: to give up, stop doing something (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| arrêter | /a.ʁɛ.te/ (Europe) /a.ʁe.te/ (Europe) |
| abandonner | /a.bɑ̃.dɔ.ne/ |
The verb arrêter is used to mean stopping an action or a habit. The verb abandonner can also be used to express quitting in certain contexts. If you are quitting because you have lost your motivation, you can use se décourager, which means to become discouraged. In informal situations, you might use lâcher to mean 'to let go' or 'to quit'.
Which one should you use?
While arrêter is used for stopping an action or a habit, abandonner is used for giving up a task, a struggle or abandoning a person or a project.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using arrêter to mean quitting an activity, it must be followed by the preposition de before an infinitive verb.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /a.ʁɛ.te/ and has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- If you want to say you are 'quitting' a job, you would not use arrêter or abandonner, but rather démissionner'.
- The verb arrêter shares its DNA with the English word 'arrest', as both come from the Latin 'restare' meaning 'to stay back'.
- The expression arrêter les frais literally means 'to stop the expenses'. It is used idiomatically to mean quitting a losing venture to avoid further loss, similar to the English 'cutting your losses'.
Examples in context
- Tu dois arrêter de boire.You must quit drinking.This sentence is useful for showing how to use arrêter regarding drinking.Tatoeba #3645638 by sacredceltic, translation #1174758 by CK
- Tu dois t'arrêter de fumer.You must quit smoking cigarettes.This sentence shows the use of arrêter in the context of smoking.Tatoeba #468815 by sacredceltic, translation #858571 by piksea
- Tu devrais arrêter de fumer.You should quit smoking.This sentence demonstrates how to use arrêter to give advice about smoking.Tatoeba #849520 by sacredceltic, translation #495668 by CK
- Je vais arrêter de fumer.I am going to quit smoking.
- Il aimerait arrêter ce projet.He would like to quit this project.
- Le gouvernement cesse ses activités.The government is quitting its activities.
- Il souhaite cesser d'investir dans cette entreprise.He wishes to quit investing in this company.
- Elle a décidé d'abandonner ses études.She decided to quit her studies.
- Elle a finalement lâché son travail ennuyeux.She finally quit her boring job.
- Il a laissé tomber ses études pour voyager.He quit his studies to travel.
- N'abandonne jamais, ne laisse jamais tomber.Never give up, never quit (literally, "never let go")!
- Je ne veux pas me décourager et abandonner mes rêves.I don't want to get discouraged and quit my dreams.
- Ne te décourage pas si facilement!Don't quit so easily! (literally, "Don't get discouraged so easily!")
- Elle a complètement arrêté de travailler.She completely quit working.
- Je vais immédiatement cesser cette tâche.I am immediately going to quit this task.
- 78 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are studying for a difficult exam.
- ChloéJe n'y arrive plus, je vais arrêter.I can't do it anymore, I'm going to quit.
- GabrielNe fais pas ça, Gabriel est presque fini.Don't do that, Gabriel is almost finished.
- ChloéC'est trop dur, je préfère arrêter maintenant.It's too hard, I prefer to quit now.
- GabrielPrends une pause et recommence après.Take a break and start again later.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “quit” translations and entries arrêter, abandonner, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries abandonner, arrêter, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
