Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| تَوَقَّفَ | tawaqqafa | |
| وَقَّف | wəggəf | Gulf Arabic |
| وَگَّف | wəggəf | Gulf Arabic |
The verb is used to indicate that something is no longer continuing, similar to the English verbs 'cease' or 'desist'.
Which one should you use?
The form تَوَقَّفَ is intransitive, which means it is used when something stops on its own, such as in the sentence 'the car stopped'. In contrast, the causative form وَقَّف is used when someone stops something else, such as 'he stopped the car'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Gulf Arabic dialects, the forms وَگَّف and وَقَّف are used to mean 'stop' or 'make something stop'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use this verb in different contexts, you can use the imperative command for a male listener, which is تَوَقَّفْ. For the third-person feminine singular present tense, the form is تَتَوَقَّفُ (meaning 'she stops' or 'it stops'). Related nouns include وَقْفَة, which refers to an interruption of travel and مَوْقِف, which refers to a place to get on and off mass transport.
How do you pronounce it?
tawaqqafa
Did you know?
- The word وَقْف is the root for the Islamic legal concept of 'Waqf' which refers to an inalienable charitable endowment or a 'stopped' asset that cannot be sold.
- In Arabic calligraphy and Quranic recitation, a وَقْف is a specific mark that tells the reader where it is permissible or mandatory to stop for a breath.
- The noun مَوْقِف can mean a 'parking lot' or 'bus stop' but it is also used to describe a person's 'stance' or 'position' on a political or social issue.
Examples in context
- أَوْقِفْ السيَّارَةَ، من فضلك.Stop the car, please.
- تَوَقَّفَ عَنْ الأَكْلِ لِأَنَّهُ شَبْعَانُ.tawaqqafa 'an al-akli li-annahu shab'anu.He stopped eating because he is full.
- هَلْ تَوَقَّفَ المَطَرُ الآنَ؟hal tawaqqafa al-mataru al-ana?Has the rain stopped now?
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about the weather while walking outside.
- مريم Maryamهَلْ تَوَقَّفَ المَطَرُ يَا عُمَرُ؟hal tawaqqafa al-mataru ya 'Umaru?Has the rain stopped, Omar?
- عمر Omarلَا، لَمْ يَتَوَقَّفْ بَعْدُ.la, lam yatawaqqaf ba'du.No, it hasn't stopped yet.
- مريم Maryamلِنَتَوَقَّفْ هُنَا حَتَّى يَتَوَقَّفَ المَطَرُ.linatawaqqaf huna hatta yatawaqqafa al-mataru.Let's stop here until the rain stops.
- عمر Omarفِكْرَةٌ جَيِّدَةٌ يَا مَرْيَمُ.fikratun jayyidatun ya Maryamu.That is a good idea, Maryam.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stop” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
