arrêt
/a.ʁɛ/masculine
The English phrase 'stop sign' is translated into French as arrêt or stop.
Meaning: traffic sign (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| arrêt | /a.ʁɛ/ | masculine |
| stop | /stɔp/ | masculine |
To refer specifically to the physical traffic sign, the phrase panneau stop is used in common usage.
Which one should you use?
The form panneau de stop is a grammatically correct way to describe a stop sign using a prepositional phrase.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word stop is a masculine noun in French.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.ʁɛ/
Did you know?
- If you use the word stop to mean 'hitchhiking' in France, you are using a pseudo-anglicism, as the English word does not carry that meaning in French culture.
- The word arrêt also refers to a legal ruling or a court decree in the French judicial system.
- The word arrêt can describe a physical stop or a state of cessation, such as arrêt cardiaque for a cardiac arrest.
Examples in context
- Tom n'a pas vu le panneau de stop.Tom didn't see the stop sign.This sentence shows how to use the form stop in a sentence about not seeing the sign.Tatoeba #5461531 by Aiji, translation #1094664 by CK
- Tu n'as pas vu le panneau stop ? Tu aurais pu nous faire tuer !Didn't you see the stop sign? You could have had us killed!This sentence uses the form stop to express the danger of not seeing the sign.Tatoeba #11285236 by lbdx, translation #5924037 by mailohilohi
- Il n'a pas vu le panneau stop et a presque percuté l'enfant traversant la route.He didn't see the stop sign and almost hit the child crossing the street.This sentence uses the form stop to describe a near-accident involving the sign.Tatoeba #5802885 by Toynop, translation #301696 by CK
- Attention ! Ne passe pas le stop.Attention! Don't go past the stop sign.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are driving together in a car.
- LéaLucas, regarde le panneau d'arrêt là-bas.Lucas, look at the stop sign over there.
- LucasJe l'ai vu, je vais m'arrêter.I saw it, I am going to stop.
- LéaFais attention, c'est un arrêt obligatoire.Be careful, it is a mandatory stop.
- LucasNe t'inquiète pas, Léa, je freine.Don't worry, Léa, I'm braking.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stop sign” translations and entries arrêt, stop, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries arrêt, stop, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
