para
informal
In Puerto Rico you say para to a friend and pare to someone you address with usted. Road signs read PARE and basta means "enough".
Meaning: to halt or cease (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| para | informal |
| Pare | formal, signs |
| Basta | enough |
To make someone stop doing something use ¡Para! For "stop it" you can say ¡Para ya! To stop a vehicle at a corner, ¡Pare ahí, por favor! works with a driver.
How does it change in a sentence?
Para and pare come from the verb parar. The informal tú command is para and the usted command is pare. The negative is no pares.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Para is also the word for "for", so context matters. Para alone as an order is the command to stop.
Did you know?
- Stop signs in Puerto Rico say PARE, not "STOP", as on signs in other Spanish-speaking places.
Examples in context
- ¡Para, que me haces cosquillas!Stop, you are tickling me!
- ¡Basta ya!That is enough!
Example conversation
Yari rides in a taxi driven by Don Luis in Ponce and asks him to stop at her building.
- YariDon Luis, pare aquí, por favor.Don Luis, stop here, please.
- Don LuisAquí mismo, ¿verdad?Right here, yes?
- YariSí, gracias. Hasta luego.Yes, thanks. See you later.
