Arrêtez de vous battre
The English phrase stop fighting is translated into French as Arrêtez de vous battre.
Arrêtez de vous battre implies a physical or heated verbal altercation.
Which one should you use?
While Arrêtez de vous battre implies a physical or heated verbal altercation, the phrase Cessez de vous disputer specifically means stop arguing.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form Arrêtez de vous battre is used for multiple people or for formal address. The singular informal form Arrête de te battre is used when speaking to one person you know well.
Did you know?
- The pronoun vous in Arrêtez de vous battre shares a common root with the Russian word вы (vy) and the Italian word voi.
- In French, the word battre is used to describe the action of whisking eggs or beating a carpet, moving far beyond the context of fighting.
- In French, the word battre is also used for the heart's rhythm, as in le cœur bat, meaning 'the heart beats'.
Examples in context
- Arrêtez de vous battre.Stop fighting.Tatoeba #8984482 by Micsmithel, translation #8307648 by CK
- Arrêtez de vous battre !Stop fighting!Tatoeba #8354439 by zarisi, translation #2111501 by CK
- Hé les garçons, arrêtez de vous battre. Allez, séparez-vous !Hey boys, stop fighting. Come on, break it up!This sentence uses Arrêtez de vous battre to address a group of boys.Tatoeba #809023 by sacredceltic, translation #676322 by darinmex
- Les gars, arrêtez de vous disputer. On est ici pour passer du bon temps, pas pour se chamaillerGuys, stop arguing. We're here to have a good time, not to bicker
- Arrêtez de vous battre tout de suite ! Ça ne mène à rien de bonStop fighting immediately! It leads to no good outcome
Example conversation
Two siblings are arguing in the living room and their sister intervenes.
- ChloéArrêtez de vous battre tout de suite.Stop fighting right now.
- GabrielMais il a commencé !But he started it!
- ChloéJe m'en fiche, soyez calmes tous les deux.I don't care, both of you be calm.
- GabrielD'accord, on arrête.Okay, we'll stop.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries battre, de, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
