今すぐやめて
ima sugu yamete
To say "stop it now" in Japanese, use 今すぐやめて (ima sugu yamete).
今すぐやめて is a command used to tell someone to immediately cease an action they are doing. It is commonly used in casual settings between friends, family members or when someone is being annoying.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 今すぐ (immediately) and やめて, which is the te-form of the verb meaning "to stop" or "to cease".
Which one should you use?
While 今すぐやめて emphasizes the immediacy of the request, the word やめて alone is a more general way to say "stop it".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more formal or polite situations, you can use やめてください to say "stop it now" or 終わりにしてください to mean "please put an end to it". In much harsher or more aggressive informal contexts, such as when someone is speaking out of anger or is in a position of authority, the imperative form 今すぐやめろ may be used.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can make the command more polite and suitable for use with strangers or superiors by adding ください to the end, resulting in 今すぐやめてください.
How do you pronounce it?
ima sugu yamete
Did you know?
- While やめて translates to 'stop', it is often used as a reflexive exclamation of shock or disbelief, similar to how an English speaker might say 'No way!' or 'Stop it!' when hearing a secret.
- When someone is teasing another person in a flirtatious way, やめて is often used not to actually stop the behavior, but as a signal of enjoyment or modesty.
- The command やめろ (yamero) is so aggressive that it is frequently used in Japanese 'tough guy' archetypes in manga and films to signal that a character has completely lost their patience or is initiating a fight.
Examples in context
- やめて。Stop it now.
- もうやめろ！Stop it now!
- そんな冗談は今すぐやめて。Sonna joudan wa ima sugu yamete.Stop that kind of joke right now.
- いたずらは今すぐやめてください。Itazura wa ima sugu yamete kudasai.Please stop the mischief right now.
Example conversation
Ren is teasing Himari about her favorite hobby.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮くん、その話は今すぐやめて！Ren-kun, sono hanashi wa ima sugu yamete!Ren, stop talking about that right now!
- 蓮 Renえ、そんなに恥ずかしいの？E, sonna ni hazukashii no?Eh, is it that embarrassing?
- 陽葵 Himari本当に、今すぐやめてって言ってるの。Hontou ni, ima sugu yamete tte itteru no.Seriously, I'm telling you to stop it now.
- 蓮 Renわかったよ、ごめんね。Wakatta yo, gomen ne.Okay, I'm sorry.
