住手
zhùshǒu
The English phrase 'stop that' is translated into Chinese as 住手 (zhùshǒu).
住手 is a command used to tell someone to immediately stop a physical action. It is specifically used when the action involves the hands, such as hitting, grabbing or destroying something.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb 住 (zhù), meaning to stop or stay and 手 (shǒu), meaning hand.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
住手 is a direct command that can sound blunt or aggressive depending on the tone, making it suitable for urgent or heated situations. For a polite and formal expression, you can use 请不要再这样做, which means 'please don't do it again like this'. In informal settings with friends or family, you might use 别这样 to say 'stop that'.
How do you pronounce it?
zhùshǒu
Did you know?
- While 住手 focuses on the hands, a person might say 住口 (zhù kǒu) to tell someone to 'stop that' if they are talking too much. This replaces the word for 'hand' with the word for 'mouth'.
- In ancient Chinese texts, 住 was often used to describe a horse coming to a complete halt. This evolved into the modern usage of stopping a physical motion suddenly.
- Using 住手 in a grocery store to tell someone to stop a non-violent action might make you sound like a character in a period drama. It carries a high level of dramatic intensity.
Examples in context
- 住手。Stop that!This sentence is useful for practicing the command 住手.Tatoeba #5092387 by mirrorvan, translation #651592 by orbpic
- 请不要再这样做，这会引起麻烦。(Qǐng bùyào zài zhèyàng zuò, zhè huì yǐnqǐ máfan.)Please don't do it again like this, it will cause trouble.
- 别这样开玩笑了。(Bié zhèyàng kāiwánxiào le.)Stop joking around like this.
- 快住手！Kuài zhùshǒu!Stop that right now!
- 你快住手，别弄坏它。Nǐ kuài zhùshǒu, bié nòng huài tā.Stop that, don't break it.
Example conversation
A boy is trying to grab a toy from a girl.
- 佳怡 Jiayi浩然，快住手！Hàorán, kuài zhùshǒu!Haoran, stop that right now!
- 浩然 Haoran我只是想看看。Wǒ zhǐshì xiǎng kànkan.I just wanted to look.
- 佳怡 Jiayi不行，这是我的。Bù xíng, zhè shì wǒ de.No, it is mine.
- 浩然 Haoran好吧，我放手。Hǎo ba, wǒ fàngshǒu.Okay, I'll let go.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
