やめる

や

め

る

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 1,000

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, transitive verb

stop; quit; discontinue

usually written using kana alone

Only when written 止める / 已める

Used for voluntarily stopping an ongoing activity, habit, or practice. Often takes a noun or verb in の or こと form.

タバコをやめたい。
I want to quit smoking.

雨あめ

が

降ふ

っ

て

き

た

の

で

、

試し

合あい

を

やめ

た

。

It started raining, so we stopped the game.

2

ichidan verb, transitive verb

cancel; give up; abstain

usually written using kana alone

Used for canceling plans, abandoning an intention, or refraining from doing something. Often implies a decision not to proceed.

旅りょ行こうをやめることにした。
I decided to cancel the trip.
彼かれは酒さけをやめている。
He is abstaining from alcohol.

Written forms

やめるUsage100%
Usually written in kana; the kanji spellings 止める and 已める are less common.
止やめるUsage<1%
Kanji spelling; may be confused with とめる (to stop something physically).
廃やめるUsage<1%
Rare kanji variant; not commonly used.
已やめるUsage<1%
Rare kanji variant; not commonly used.

Kanji

止stop, halt
廃abolish, obsolete, cessation
已stop, halt, previously

Similar words

止とめる
とめる means to physically stop something (e.g., a car, a person), while やめる means to stop an activity or plan.
辞やめる
辞める is specifically used for quitting a job or position, whereas やめる is broader.

Etymology

Derived from classical verb 止む (やむ, to stop, intransitive) with the transitive suffix める. The kanji 止 is used for its meaning 'stop', while 已 and 廃 are less common variants.