止す

• Reading: よす
• Romaji: yosu
• Kanji breakdown: 止 (shi/yo) — stop, halt, cease
• Pronunciation: /jo.sɯ/

Meaning

To stop; to cease; to give up. To quit doing something or abandon a plan.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb conjugated with the す row. A casual way to say 'stop' or 'quit' — more colloquial than やめる. Often used to advise against something (そんなことは止しなさい = stop doing that). Frequently written in hiragana as よす. Common in spoken Japanese for dropping plans (今日は止そう = let's skip it today).

Examples

1. 雨が降りそうだから花見は止そう。 It looks like it's going to rain, so let's skip the cherry blossom viewing.
2. そんな危ないことは止しなさい。 Stop doing dangerous things like that.
3. 文句を言うのは止して手伝ってよ。 Quit complaining and help me out.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, conversation, advice

Tone: direct

Origin & History

From the kanji 止 (shi/to, to stop), which depicts a foot coming to a halt. The よす reading is a native Japanese verb stem applied to this character.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal