やめる
yameru
To quit or stop doing something in Japanese, the default form is やめる (yameru).
The verb やめる is used when you quit a job, stop a habit like smoking or cease an ongoing activity. If you decide to quit after all, conveying that you have changed your mind, you can use the phrase やっぱりやめる.
Meaning: to give up, stop doing something (verb)
Which one should you use?
While やめる means to stop an action or quit a habit, it is distinct from the word 止める, which is used to mean physically stopping a moving object.
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite past tense of the verb is やめました.
How do you pronounce it?
yameru
Did you know?
- While やめる means 'to quit', the word やめて is frequently used as a command meaning 'stop it' or 'stop doing that' when someone is annoying or harassing you.
- In a professional setting, using やめる to announce a resignation can sound quite blunt or even childish. To sound more respectful and professional when quitting a job, Japanese people typically use the more formal term 退職する (taishoku suru).
- In Japanese, the verb やめる can be written with different kanji depending on whether you are quitting a job or physically stopping a machine. While the pronunciation remains the same, the kanji 辞める specifically signifies resigning or quitting a position.
Examples in context
- なぜ今やめる？Why quit now?This sentence is useful for asking why someone is quitting now using やめる.Tatoeba #5020241 by huizi99, translation #3563504 by CK
- タバコはやめるわ。I'm going to quit smoking.This sentence is useful for expressing the intention to quit smoking using やめる.Tatoeba #11483532 by small_snow, translation #2544768 by CK
- トムがやめるわけないでしょ。Why would Tom quit?This sentence is useful for questioning why someone would quit using やめる.Tatoeba #10062447 by bunbuku, translation #2869261 by CK
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Himari are discussing their piano lessons.
- 陽太 Yotaもうピアノをやめるよ。Mō piano o yameru yo.I'm going to quit piano now.
- 陽葵 Himariえっ、どうしてやめるの？E, dōshite yameru no?What, why are you quitting?
- 陽太 Yota練習がとても大変なんだ。Renshū ga totemo taihen nanda.The practice is just too hard.
- 陽葵 Himariでも、もったいないよ。Demo, mottainai yo.But it would be a waste.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry やめる, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
