やめて
yamete
The English phrase 'stop it' is translated into Japanese as やめて (yamete).
やめて is a command used to tell someone to cease doing something that is annoying or harmful. It is frequently used as an exclamation of distress or annoyance when someone is teasing or physically bothering you.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
やめて is a plain and straightforward way to say 'stop it' in an informal context. For a more forceful and strong way to say 'stop it', use やめろ. For a formal tone that can be translated as 'please desist' or 'please cease', use おやめください.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form やめて is the casual, imperative form used with friends, family or people of lower social status. Adding ください (kudasai) to やめて makes the command more polite and is the standard way to ask someone to stop a behavior in a non-confrontational way, resulting in やめてください.
How do you pronounce it?
yamete
Did you know?
- The word やめて comes from the verb やめる, which can also mean 'to resign' or 'to quit' a job, meaning 'stop it' and 'I quit' share the same linguistic root.
- In some contexts, saying やめて with a high pitch can function more like a playful 'stop it!' during flirting or teasing, rather than a genuine request to cease an action.
- If you use the command やめろ instead of やめて with a stranger, it can be perceived not just as rude, but as a direct provocation or a threat of physical confrontation.
Examples in context
- 痛い！やめて！That hurts! Stop it!This example shows how to use やめて to express that something hurts.Tatoeba #4297971 by hallelujahaluya, translation #4297291 by trieuho
- やめてください。Please stop it.This example demonstrates the polite way to ask someone to stop using やめてください.Tatoeba #10901607 by small_snow, translation #2249814 by CK
- 痛いからやめて。That hurts, so stop it.This example shows how to use やめて to explain the reason for the request.Tatoeba #12167709 by small_snow, translation #12219215 by CK
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiyori is teasing Hiroto by poking his cheek.
- 大翔 Hirotoもう、やめて！Mō, yamete!Enough, stop it!
- 陽葵 Himariえー、いいじゃん。Ē, ii jan.Eh, why not?
- 大翔 Hiroto本当にやめてよ。Hontō ni yamete yo.Seriously, stop it.
- 陽葵 Himariわかったよ、やめるね。Wakatta yo, yameru ne.Alright, I'll stop.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
