Level A1 (Beginner)
Today’s French Word of the Day lesson explains how to use “arrêter,” meaning “to stop.” We’ll also cover the reflexive form “s’arrêter” (to stop yourself).
Meaning
Pronunciation with IPA
Example sentences
Present tense conjugation
Meaning & usage
The verb arrêter is a regular -ER verb that means to stop. Used transitively, it often describes stopping something: J’arrête la voiture (I stop the car). In another sense, it can also mean to arrest, as in “La police arrête un voleur” (The police arrest a thief).
When reflexive, s’arrêter means “to stop oneself” or “to come to a halt”. For example, Je m’arrête devant l’école (I stop in front of the school). In addition, arrêter de + infinitive expresses stopping an activity: J’arrête de fumer (I stop smoking).
Finally, in the expression se faire arrêter, the verb means to get arrested: Je me fais arrêter par les flics (I get arrested by the cops).
Pronunciation
Example sentences
This first sentence uses the il y a, which translates to there is, there are and ago. Note that for this sentence, a reflexive form also works: je m’arrête de fumer (I stop smoking). This sentence is in the passé composé, a commonly used French past tense.
J’ai arrêté de fumer il y a treize ans.
I stopped smoking thirteen years ago.
This second sentence uses arrêter le sucre, which I’ve translated loosely to “to stop eating sugar”.
J’arrête le sucre parce que c’est mauvais pour la santé.
I stop eating sugar because it’s bad for your health.
Arrêter is followed by the preposition de + infinitive to mean “to stop doing an action”. This sentence uses the informal expression en avoir marre, which means to be fed up or to have enough.
Sylvie n’arrête pas de râler et j’en ai marre !
Sylvie doesn’t stop moaning and I’ve had enough!
For this final sentence, the French borrow the word “stop” from English for un panneau stop (stop sign). The impersonal expression il faut translates literally to “it’s necessary” but also can mean “you need to”.
Il faut se ralentir avant le panneau stop !
You need to slow down before the stop sign!
Present tense conjugation
J’arrête I stop
Tu arrêtes You stop (singular, informal)
Il, elle arrête He, she stops
Nous arrêtons We stop
Vous arrêtez You stop (plural, formal)
Ils, elles arrêtent They stop
Word origin
The Modern French arrêter comes from Middle French arrester which in turn comes from arrestare in Latin.
Relate verbs
- Cesser: to stop, to cease; also be followed by de
- Interrompre: to interrupt, to break off
- Mettre fin à: to put an end to, to stop
- Suspendre: to suspend, to halt temporarily
- Abandonner: to abandon, to give up
- Renoncer à: to give up, to renounce
Related lessons
Reference
