parar
/pa-RAR/
to stop
Parar means 'to stop' movement.
parar(Verb)
to stop
?to cease movement or an action
to quit
?e.g., parar de fumar (to quit smoking)
,to cease
?e.g., la lluvia paró (the rain ceased)
📝 In Action
El autobús para en esta esquina.
A1The bus stops on this corner.
¡Para! Hay un semáforo en rojo.
A1Stop! There's a red light.
Tienes que parar de hacer tanto ruido.
A2You have to stop making so much noise.
💡 Grammar Points
Stopping an Action
To say you 'stop doing something', use the structure 'parar de' + the action verb. For example, 'Paré de comer' means 'I stopped eating'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Stopping Yourself vs. Stopping Something Else
Mistake: "'Yo paro el coche' vs. 'Yo me paro'"
Correction: 'Parar' stops an external object ('I stop the car'). 'Pararse' stops yourself ('I stop').
⭐ Usage Tips
Quick Commands
The simple command '¡Para!' is very common and direct, just like 'Stop!' in English. You can use it to stop a person, a car, or an action.
Pararse (pronominal form) means 'to stand up'.
parar(Pronominal Verb)
to stand up
?to get on one's feet
to stop
?when the subject stops itself
,to stand
?to be in a standing position
📝 In Action
Cuando entró el profesor, todos los alumnos se pararon.
A2When the teacher came in, all the students stood up.
El coche se paró de repente en medio de la calle.
A2The car suddenly stopped in the middle of the street.
No te pares en la puerta, por favor.
B1Don't stand in the doorway, please.
💡 Grammar Points
What's a 'Pronominal Verb'?
It's just a verb where the action reflects back on the person doing it. You show this by adding a little word like 'me', 'te', or 'se' before the verb. So 'pararse' means to stop oneself or to make oneself stand up.
⭐ Usage Tips
Spain vs. Latin America
In Spain, using 'pararse' for 'to stand up' is very common. In many parts of Latin America, you're more likely to hear 'ponerse de pie'.
Parar can mean 'to end up' or arrive somewhere unexpectedly.
parar(Verb)
to end up
?to arrive somewhere unexpectedly
to wind up
?to find oneself in a situation
📝 In Action
Después de perdernos, fuimos a parar a un pueblo que no estaba en el mapa.
B1After getting lost, we ended up in a town that wasn't on the map.
No sé cómo la carta paró en tus manos.
B2I don't know how the letter wound up in your hands.
⭐ Usage Tips
Common Structure: 'ir a parar'
This meaning often appears as 'ir a parar a...' which emphasizes the journey to the unexpected destination or outcome. Think of it as 'to go and end up at...'
In sports, parar means 'to save' a goal or shot.
📝 In Action
El portero paró el penalti y salvó al equipo.
B1The goalkeeper saved the penalty and saved the team.
¡Qué buena parada! Nadie esperaba que parara ese balón.
B2What a great save! Nobody expected him to save that ball.
⭐ Usage Tips
Context is Everything
This meaning is tied completely to sports. If you hear 'parar' during a soccer or basketball game, it almost certainly means 'to save' or 'to block'.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: parar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence means 'The man stood up'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'parar', 'pararse', and 'detenerse'?
Great question! 'Parar' is when you stop something else (e.g., 'Paro el coche' - I stop the car). 'Pararse' is when you stop yourself ('Me paro' - I stop) or when you stand up ('Me paro' - I stand up). 'Detenerse' is a slightly more formal way to say 'stop oneself' and is very similar to 'pararse' for ceasing movement.
I heard 'parado' means 'unemployed'. Is that related?
Yes, it is! In Spain, 'estar parado' is a very common way to say 'to be unemployed'. The idea is that your work life has 'stopped'. In Latin America, they usually say 'estar desempleado' instead.