verb

parar

stop

Dejar de moverse o de hacer algo.

Definition & meaning

Parar is a Spanish verb whose main meaning is “to stop” or “to cause something to stop.”

It can be used in several ways:

To stop moving or come to a halt:
El tren paró. — “The train stopped.”
To stop something or someone:
Paró el coche. — “He/she stopped the car.”
To prevent, block, or ward off something, especially a blow, shot, or ball:
El portero paró el penalti. — “The goalkeeper saved the penalty.”
To stop or stay somewhere temporarily:
¿Dónde paras? — “Where are you staying?” or “Where do you usually hang out?”
To end up somewhere or at a certain result:
El dinero fue a parar al banco. — “The money ended up in the bank.”

The reflexive form pararse often means “to stand up,” “to stop,” or “to come to a stop,” depending on the region and context.

Grammar & Word origin

Parar is a regular -ar verb.

Present-tense examples:

yo paro — I stop
tú paras — you stop
él/ella para — he/she stops
nosotros paramos — we stop
ellos paran — they stop

It may be either intransitive (“to stop”) or transitive (“to stop something”):

El autobús paró. — “The bus stopped.”
El conductor paró el autobús. — “The driver stopped the bus.”

The verb comes from Latin parāre, meaning “to prepare,” “arrange,” or “provide.” Its modern meanings developed around bringing something to a stationary or settled state.

Related Spanish words include parada , meaning “stop,” “halt,” or “bus stop,” and parado , meaning “stopped,” “stationary,” or, in some contexts, “unemployed.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

detener — “to stop” or “to halt.” It is often more formal and commonly emphasizes deliberately bringing something to a stop.
frenar — “to brake” or “to slow down.” It is especially used for vehicles or for figuratively reducing a process.
interrumpir — “to interrupt” or “to suspend.” It focuses on interrupting an activity, process, or speech rather than simply stopping movement.
cesar — “to cease.” This is more formal and usually refers to an activity, action, or condition coming to an end.
estacionar — “to park.” This is a more specific meaning of stopping a vehicle in a designated place.

Antonyms

continuar — “to continue,” the most general opposite of stopping.
seguir — “to keep going,” “to proceed,” or “to continue.”
avanzar — “to move forward” or “to advance,” contrasting with remaining stopped.
comenzar — “to begin” or “to start,” especially as the opposite of stopping an activity.

Common phrases & collocations

parar el coche — to stop the car
parar el autobús — to stop the bus
parar un golpe — to block or ward off a blow
parar un balón — to save or stop a ball
parar un penalti — to save a penalty kick
parar de hablar — to stop talking
no parar de trabajar — not to stop working; to work continuously
parar en un hotel — to stay at or stop at a hotel
¿Dónde paras? — Where are you staying? / Where do you usually go or hang out?