やめて、嫌だ
yamete, iya da
The phrase "stop it, i don't like it" in Japanese is やめて、嫌だ (yamete, iya da).
This phrase is used to request that someone stop doing something that the speaker finds unpleasant or offensive.
Which one should you use?
The form やめて is an informal way to say "Stop it."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form やめて、嫌だ is informal and is typically used with friends, children or in highly emotional situations. For a more polite version, you can use やめてください、嫌です, which is formed by adding ください to やめて and using the polite copula です instead of だ. The forms やめてください and やめて下さい are also formal ways to say "Please stop."
How does it change in a sentence?
You can also add よ to the end of a phrase to subtly emphasize a statement.
How do you pronounce it?
yamete, iya da
Did you know?
- In certain social contexts, やめて is used playfully between friends or partners, where it actually signals that the person is enjoying the interaction and does not want it to truly stop.
- The word やめて comes from the verb やめる, which is also the standard word for 'to resign' from a job or 'to quit' a habit. Using it can sometimes sound as heavy as telling someone to 'quit' their behavior entirely.
- In highly formal settings, instead of using やめて, one might use お控えください (o-hikae kudasai), which literally means 'please refrain'. It is far more indirect and polite than the direct 'stop' used in this phrase.
Examples in context
- お止めくださいませんか？Could you please stop?
- おやめください。Would you please stop?
- やめて！Stop it!
- もうやめろよ！Just stop already!
- やめてくれよ。Please stop.
- そんなの、やめて、嫌だ。sonna no, yamete, iya da.Stop that, I don't like it.
- やめて、嫌だと言ったでしょ。yamete, iya da to itta desho.Stop it, I told you I don't like it.
Example conversation
A brother is teasing his sister about her cooking.
- 結衣 Yuiやめて、嫌だ。yamete, iya da.Stop it, I don't like it.
- 陽太 Yota冗談だよ、結衣。joudan da yo, Yui.It's just a joke, Yui.
- 結衣 Yui本当に嫌だよ。hontou ni iya da yo.I really don't like it.
- 陽太 Yotaごめん、もうしないよ。gomen, mou shinai yo.Sorry, I won't do it again.
