How to Say “Stop” in Spanish

Ways to say it

Both dejar de and parar de are used to express the cessation of an action. When you want to express the idea of stopping a specific action or habit, you can also use the phrase Deja de. If you are referring to a physical halt of a person, vehicle or process, the verb detener is used instead.

Which one should you use?

dejar de often implies a permanent or long-term cessation of a habit or action, such as quitting something. In contrast, parar de can imply a temporary interruption of a continuous motion or activity.

Related words

Place to get on and off mass transport (noun): parada, paradero.

Punctuation symbol (noun): punto, punto final.

How does it change in a sentence?

When expressing the cessation of an action, both dejar de and parar de must be followed by an infinitive (dejar de + [infinitive]).

How do you pronounce it?

/dexaɾ de/

What mistakes should you avoid?

Avoid using detener when you mean to stop doing an activity (for example, 'stop smoking'). Detener is specifically used when you intend to physically halt a person, a vehicle or a process.

When do people say it?

On roads and highways, the word Alto is frequently used to denote stop, such as on a stop sign.