Onyomi: シ · Kunyomi: -さ.し, -さ.す, -と.める, -ど.まり, -ど.め, -や.む, と.まる, と.める, とど.まる, とど.め, とど.める, や.む, や.める, よ.す · Meanings: halt, stop
Kanji for halt, stop
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Find visually similar kanji, commonly confused characters, related meanings, and useful words connected to 止.
The kanji 止 is a pictograph of a foot coming to a halt, symbolizing stopping or standing still. In ancient times, it represented the act of pausing one’s movement. 止 came to mean stop, halt, or cease, capturing the sense of stillness and control.
A foot stopping in place — 止 means to stop, halt, or cease.
Imagine your foot freezing mid-step as you stop walking — that’s 止, the kanji for stop.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 止まる | とまる | to stop (moving), to come to a stop | common JLPT-N2 JLPT-N5 Godan verb with 'ru' ending, Intransitive verb |
| 止める | とめる | to stop, to turn off | common JLPT-N4 JLPT-N3 Ichidan verb, Transitive verb |
| 止む | やむ | to cease, to stop, to be over | common JLPT-N4 Godan verb with 'mu' ending, Intransitive verb |
| 止す | よす | to stop (doing), to cease, to desist, to drop, to lay off, to give up, to quit | common JLPT-N3 Godan verb with 'su' ending, Transitive verb |
| やむを得ない | やむをえない | cannot be helped, unavoidable | common JLPT-N2 JLPT-N1 Expressions (phrases, clauses, etc.), I-adjective (keiyoushi) |
| 止める | やめる | to stop (an activity), to cease, to discontinue, to end, to quit | common JLPT-N4 Ichidan verb, Transitive verb |
| 止まる | とどまる | to remain, to abide, to stay (in the one place) | common JLPT-N2 JLPT-N1 Godan verb with 'ru' ending, Intransitive verb |
| 留め金 | とめがね | clasp, latch, catch, fastener | common Noun |
| 留める | とどめる | to stop, to stay (e.g. the night), to cease, to put an end to | common JLPT-N1 Ichidan verb, Transitive verb |
| 止めどなく | とめどなく | endlessly, ceaselessly | common Adverb (fukushi) |
| 留め | とめ | (a) stop (e.g. in a timber joint, or at the end of a kanji stroke) | Noun, Suffix |
| 止む無く | やむなく | out of necessity, with no other option, perforce, unavoidably, reluctantly, unwillingly | Adverb (fukushi) |
| やむを得ず | やむをえず | unavoidably, inevitably, necessarily, reluctantly, against one's will | Expressions (phrases, clauses, etc.), Adverb (fukushi) |
| 止めくぎ | とめくぎ | stop peg, toggle, tack | Noun |
| 止まれ | とまれ | Stop | Expressions (phrases, clauses, etc.) |