止まる

What it means

止まる means to come to a stop or to stop moving or operating; it is intransitive, describing that the subject itself ceases motion or operation rather than causing something else to stop.

Main meanings

• to stop moving or to come to rest, for people, vehicles, or machinery
• to stop functioning or to cease operation, as a device or system
• to pause briefly or come to a halt during an activity
• to stop time metaphorically or in expressions describing a momentary standstill
• to come to a standstill in a process or progression

How to use it

Used in intransitive contexts to describe ceasing motion, stopping of devices or natural phenomena, and pauses in ongoing actions; suitable for both casual conversation and formal prose; pattern involves a subject marker followed by 止まる to indicate cessation.