Halt
/halt/
The German word for stop is Halt.
Halt is the imperative form of the verb halten, which can mean to stop or to hold. It is used as a command to tell someone to stop immediately.
Meaning: not to continue (verb)
Which one should you use?
While the single word Halt! acts as a direct command to stop right now, the phrase Halten Sie an! is used as a request for a vehicle or something in motion to pull over or come to a stop.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The command Halt comes from the verb halten (to stop or to hold). When you want to express the action of a vehicle or a person coming to a stop, the separable verb anhalten is often used.
How do you pronounce it?
/halt/
Did you know?
- The word Halt is used in the expression Halt den Mund!, which literally tells someone to 'hold their mouth' but actually means 'shut up'.
- In German, the word Halt can be used as an interjection meaning 'just' or 'simply' to emphasize a statement, such as in Das ist halt so meaning 'That is just the way it is'.
- In German, the word Halt can also mean 'support' or 'stability', such as when someone needs Halt during a difficult time in their life.
Examples in context
- Halte den Zug an!Stop the train.This is useful for practicing how to command the stopping of a train with Halt.Tatoeba #6878950 by Esperantostern, translation #2250028 by CK
- Halten Sie Tom auf!Stop Tom.This demonstrates using the verb to command someone to stop a person with Halt.Tatoeba #2203982 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2203866 by CK
- Halten Sie bitte an!Please stop!This shows how to politely request a vehicle to stop using Halt.Tatoeba #2837402 by Espi, translation #2837617 by patgfisher
- Bitte halten Sie an der roten Ampel an.Please stop at the red traffic light.
- Halt! Hier ist kein Weiterkommen erlaubt.Stop! No further passage is allowed here.
- Wir müssen das Projekt im Interesse der Effizienz beenden.We have to stop the project for the sake of efficiency.
- Kannst du bitte diesen Lärm stoppen?Can you please stop this noise?
- Stopp! Das reicht jetzt.Stop! That's enough now.
- Hör auf, mich ständig zu unterbrechen!Stop interrupting me all the time!
- 170 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Julia are walking and Maximilian sees a red light.
- MaximilianHalt! Wir müssen hier warten.Stop! We have to wait here.
- JuliaWarum? Ich sehe kein Licht.Why? I don't see a light.
- MaximilianSchau mal, die Ampel ist rot.Look, the light is red.
- JuliaOh, du hast recht. Ich bleibe stehen.Oh, you are right. I'll stop.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Halt, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
