Inklingo

paró

pah-ROHpaˈɾo

paró means He stopped in Spanish (Completed action).

He stopped, She stopped, It stoppedAlso: He halted, You stopped (formal)

A1regular ar
MexicoSpain
A simple storybook illustration of a man wearing a red shirt and blue pants. He was running but is now standing perfectly still on a dirt path, illustrating that his movement has ceased.
infinitiveparar
past Participleparado
gerundparando

📝 In Action

El tren paró de repente en medio del campo.

A1

The train stopped suddenly in the middle of the field.

Ella paró la pelota con el pecho.

A2

She stopped the ball with her chest.

¿Por qué paró usted la reunión tan pronto?

B1

Why did you (formal) stop the meeting so early?

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • detuvo (stopped/detained)
  • cesó (ceased)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • paró el motorhe/she stopped the engine
  • paró en secohe/she stopped abruptly

Idioms & Expressions

  • parar el tráficoto stop everything/to draw all attention

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yoparara/parase
pararas/parases
él/ella/ustedparara/parase
nosotrosparáramos/parásemos
vosotrospararais/paraseis
ellos/ellas/ustedespararan/parasen

Present Subjunctive

yopare
pares
él/ella/ustedpare
nosotrosparemos
vosotrosparéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesparen

Indicative

Preterite

yoparé
paraste
él/ella/ustedparó
nosotrosparamos
vosotrosparasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedespararon

Imperfect

yoparaba
parabas
él/ella/ustedparaba
nosotrosparábamos
vosotrosparabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesparaban

Present

yoparo
paras
él/ella/ustedpara
nosotrosparamos
vosotrosparáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesparan

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "paró" in Spanish:

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: paró

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'paró' to mean 'stopped'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

Comes from the Latin verb *parāre*, which originally meant 'to prepare' or 'to make ready.' Over time, this meaning evolved in Spanish to mean 'to stop' or 'to halt,' often used in the context of preparing a position or halting movement.

First recorded: Before the 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: pararItalian: parare

💡 Master Spanish

Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'paró' an irregular verb form?

No, 'paró' is a regular conjugation of the -ar verb 'parar' in the simple past tense (preterite). All regular -ar verbs follow this pattern: infinitive minus -ar, plus -ó for 'él/ella/usted'.

How do I know if 'paró' means 'stopped' or 'stood up'?

It depends heavily on the region and the context. If you are talking about vehicles or activity, it almost always means 'stopped.' If you are talking about a person moving from sitting to standing, Spanish speakers often use the reflexive 'se paró' (he/she stood up).