ting4 zi2停止
Jyutpingting4 zi2
Yaletìngh jí
Definition
To stop, cease, halt, or temporarily suspend an action or operation.
neutraldaily actions
How it's used
While this term is understood in spoken Cantonese, it often sounds formal or written. In casual daily conversation, people are much more likely to use 停 or 唔好再做 to convey the same meaning. Using 停止 in a relaxed setting can make you sound like you are reading from a news report or an official notice.
Examples
zing3 fu2 kyut3 ding6 ting4 zi2 ni1 go3 gung1 cing4 laa3
政府決定停止呢個工程喇。
The government decided to stop this project.
nei5 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ting4 zi2 gong2 je5 aa4
你可唔可以停止講嘢呀？
Can you stop talking?
Related words
Common phrases
ting4 zi2 jing4 jip6
停止營業
suspension of business
ting4 zi2 fuk6 mou6
停止服務
service suspended
Common mistake
Learners often use this as a direct translation for stop in all contexts, but it is too stiff for simple commands like stop the car, where 停 or 停車 is preferred. It is best reserved for abstract concepts, official actions, or formal processes.
Tone guide
T1High level
T2High rising
T3Mid level
T4Low falling
T5Low rising
T6Low level
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
