Meaning
Welcome! In this lesson, we'll explore the N3 kanji 停, a highly practical character as you advance in your Japanese studies. It primarily conveys the concepts of "stopping," "halting," "suspending," or "parking." Essentially, it describes bringing movement or activity to a standstill, whether temporarily or permanently.
Let's look at its structure. 停 is a semantic-phonetic compound kanji, meaning it combines a component that suggests its meaning with another that indicates its sound. On the left, you'll find the familiar radical 人 (ninben), representing a 'person' or relating to human actions. Its inclusion here suggests that the act of stopping often involves people, or things affected by human activity like vehicles, services, or decisions.
To the right, you'll notice the component 亭. This element provides 停 its main On'yomi reading, 'tei' (テイ). 亭 itself means 'pavilion' or 'resting place.' Picture a person (人) arriving at a resting place or pavilion (亭)—what's their action? They stop! This visual link clearly conveys the kanji's core meaning of halting or staying put. Whether it's a bus stopping at a station or a service being suspended, the idea of pausing or ceasing activity is fundamental to 停.
Composed of 11 strokes, 停 is usually introduced in Grade 6 of Japanese elementary school, fitting its N3 level designation.
Readings
To use a kanji effectively, understanding its readings is crucial. For 停, its On'yomi is particularly important, though you should also be aware of its rare Kun'yomi.
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The primary On'yomi for 停 is テイ (TEI). This reading is highly prevalent and appears in almost all kanji compounds involving 停. When you encounter 停 as part of a multi-kanji word, you can almost certainly expect it to be pronounced テイ.
停止 (teishi) — This means "stop," "suspension," or "halt." It's often used for machinery, services, or activities coming to a formal or complete stop. For example, stopping a factory line.
停車 (teisha) — Specifically refers to a vehicle stopping, like a train at a station or a car at a traffic light.
停留所 (teiryūjo) — A very practical word for "bus stop" or "tram stop." It's the designated place where public transport halts for passengers.
停電 (teiden) — Meaning "power outage" or "blackout." It's a compound of 停 (stop) and 電 (electricity).
停滞 (teitai) — This means "stagnation," "delay," or "congestion." It describes situations where progress is halted, like traffic congestion or a stagnant economy.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
While dictionaries do list Kun'yomi readings for 停 like と.める (to.meru) and と.まる (to.maru), it's important to understand that these are extremely uncommon in modern Japanese when written with the kanji 停. In almost all daily situations, the verbs 'to stop' (transitive) and 'to stop' (intransitive) are written using the kanji 止, as 止める and 止まる. The Kun'yomi of 停 are mainly historical or found in very specific, often archaic or literary contexts. For a complete understanding, theoretical examples are provided below, but please remember they do not represent standard contemporary usage:
足を停める (ashi wo tomeru) — To stop one's feet or pause. However, 足を止める is the standard and common way to write this.
雨が停まる (ame ga tomaru) — The rain stops. Again, 雨が止まる is the standard expression you'll encounter.
For N3 studies and practical communication, prioritize mastering the On'yomi テイ for 停, as this is its primary usage in contemporary Japanese.
Common Words & Compounds
Having covered its meanings and readings, let's now look at 停 in practical compound words. This kanji is quite versatile, appearing in numerous terms related to things halting or being suspended. We'll categorize them by theme to aid your memorization!
Transportation and Movement
停車 (teisha) — Refers to a vehicle stopping, often temporarily, like a train at a station.
停留所 (teiryūjo) — This is your everyday "bus stop" or "tram stop," a place where public transport halts for passengers.
停泊 (teihaku) — Used for ships "anchoring" or "mooring," meaning a vessel stays put in a harbor or at sea.
一時停止 (ichiji teishi) — A common traffic sign meaning "temporary stop" or "halt." Drivers must come to a complete stop before proceeding.
Official and Formal Stoppages
停止 (teishi) — A broad term for "stop," "suspension," or "halt" of machinery, services, or activities. It's often used in formal contexts.
停電 (teiden) — A familiar word for "power outage" or "blackout."
停学 (teigaku) — Meaning "suspension from school," typically as a disciplinary action for students.
停職 (teishoku) — Similar to 停学 but for adults, meaning "suspension from work" for an employee.
停滞 (teitai) — Describes "stagnation," "delay," or "congestion," indicating a lack of movement or progress.
停戦 (teisen) — Meaning "ceasefire" or "armistice," a formal agreement to stop fighting in a conflict.
As you can see, 停 is quite versatile, always revolving around the central idea of something coming to a "stop" or "halt" in various contexts.
Example Sentences
Let's put 停 into context with some real-world sentences. Pay attention to how it's used in different situations!
バスが停留所に停車しました。
Basu ga teiryūjo ni teisha shimashita.
The bus stopped at the bus stop.
駅前で一時停止の標識があります。
Ekimae de ichiji teishi no hyōshiki ga arimasu.
There is a temporary stop sign in front of the station.
突然の停電で、部屋が真っ暗になった。
Totsuzen no teiden de, heya ga makkura ni natta.
The room became pitch black due to a sudden power outage.
システムの不具合により、一時サービスを停止しています。
Shisutemu no fugai ni yori, ichiji sābisu wo teishi shiteimasu.
Due to a system malfunction, services are temporarily suspended.
船は港に停泊し、乗客が下船しました。
Fune wa minato ni teihaku shi, jōkyaku ga gesen shimashita.
The ship anchored in the harbor, and passengers disembarked.
交通の停滞で、約束に遅れてしまった。
Kōtsū no teitai de, yakusoku ni okurete shimatta.
I was late for my appointment due to traffic congestion.
彼は不正行為のため、停学処分を受けた。
Kare wa fusei kōi no tame, teigaku shobun wo uketa.
He received a school suspension due to misconduct.
両国は長い交渉の末、ついに停戦協定に合意した。
Ryōkoku wa nagai kōshō no sue, tsuini teisen kyōtei ni gōi shita.
After long negotiations, both countries finally agreed to a ceasefire.
その工場は生産ラインの問題で一時的に操業停止を余儀なくされた。
Sono kōjō wa seisan rain no mondai de ichijiteki ni sōgyō teishi wo yogi naku sareta.
The factory was forced to temporarily suspend operations due to an issue with the production line.
Memory Tip
Here's a memory tip to help you recall 停: Imagine a person (人 radical on the left) who has traveled a long distance. Feeling tired, they decide to take a break. They spot an inviting pavilion (亭 component on the right) by the road. The person stops at the pavilion to rest, bringing their journey to a halt or suspension. Conveniently, the 'pavilion' component (亭) also gives us the 'tei' sound! So, envision a weary traveler gratefully pausing their journey at a welcoming pavilion when you see 停.