止
Stop
| on’yomi | kun’yomi | Radicals |
|---|---|---|
| し | と.まる, と.める | 止 |
Meaning: Stop
The radical and the kanji for stop are the same, so hopefully it shouldn’t be any trouble for you.
If this kanji meaning is giving you trouble, it just means you need to study your radicals more… so… do that, okay?
Reading: し
When we need to remember the sound し, we use the word “Charlie Sheen.” – When you think stop, do you also think “stop sign”? I hope you do. You’re coming up to a stop sign, and on top of it, standing straight up and down, you see Charlie Sheen, saluting the sky. Even before you come to a stop, Sheen starts yelling “STOPP! STOPPP!!” and jumps down onto the hood of your car, breaking the windshield in.
Make sure to feel the curiosity of someone standing like that on a stop sign. Then, feel the surprise when you figure out it’s a celebrity standing up there. Lastly, feel the fear as he jumps onto your car and busts your windshield. See his face on the glass, looking in on you, all crazy like.
Vocabulary
The common words are listed below. Not too many, but pretty useful! Learn their meanings and their readings (if you can), then move on.
a 止まる（とまる）＝ Something Stops
- Meaning: This is when something stops (but you aren’t the one actively stopping it).
- Reading: The reading is the kun’yomi reading (the と part). Both readings sound a bit like “Tom” though, so if you think of someone named Tom (someone you know or someone who’s famous) stopping at a stop sign, it’ll help you to remember the first part (the と). After that, you have to remember that this one is the とま reading, and the next one is the とめ reading.
a 止める（とめる）＝ To Stop Something
- Meaning: This meaning is when you’re stopping something. As in, you’re doing the action of stopping something.
- Reading: If you know the reading of the previous vocab, you should be able to remember this vocab’s reading as well.
a 中止（ちゅうし）＝ suspension
- Combo: 中 (middle) + 止 (stop)
- Meaning: The meaning makes total sense. When you’re in the middle of stopping, you’re in a state of suspension.
- Reading: If you know the on’yomi reading of these two kanji, you know the reading of this word as well.