When do you use the various words for "stop" in Spanish?

Question

I am confused about when to use the various Spanish words for stop. When I went to Mexico, the "stop signs" read "alto," and I believe that this means halt. When I enter stop into a translator, I get "parado" for my watch has stopped. However, if I just enter "my watch stopped," I get "detuvo" for stopped.

Can someone please help me? Thanks.

Answer 1

Stop, as a verb can be "detener" or "detenerse". Like in "Ella SE DETUVO a leer el cartel de la calle." "She stopped (herself) to read the sign in the street"

OR "El policía detuvo al criminal/delincuente.. etc." "The policeman stopped the criminal"

You are right, in México the signs say "ALTO". In those cases it means "Stop". But you have to be very careful because it can also mean tall or high. "Un niño alto" "A tall boy" or "Un edificio alto" "A high building". ALTO, meaning "Stop" is not a verb, but an interjection. When it means high or tall, it's an adjective.

About your watch. It is ok to say "Mi reloj se paró" or "mi reloj se detuvo" Parar(se) and detener(se) both mean stop.. "Parado or parada" is the participle of the verb PARAR Now parar or pararse can also mean "to stand up", like in "Todos se pararon para aplaudirle al cantante" "Everybody stood up to applaude to the singer."

• Thank you SO much. - kdrinning Feb 15, 2012
• Interesting answer! I am going to check which verbs meaning "stop" are transitive ... - Lector_Const Feb 15, 2012

Answer 2

parar = to stop

pare/alto! = stop!

parado = stopped/stand(ing on) still

Detain

item #3 which basically means to stop.

Right?