Arrêter in French: Meaning and Common Mistakes
Arrêter means to stop in French, used both for actions and in the reflexive s'arrêter for movement. Learn correct usage with examples.
Arrêter means to stop in French, used both for stopping an action (arrêter de + verb) and in the reflexive s’arrêter for a person or vehicle stopping. The editorial path here moves from the governing pattern to real contexts, then tests nearby alternatives and the mistakes most likely to survive a simple vocabulary drill.
Quick answer
Arrêter means to stop something or someone; s’arrêter means to stop oneself or come to a stop. Before an infinitive, arrêter de means to stop doing an activity. The reflexive pronoun and de are essential distinctions.
Quick answer
The transitive verb takes a direct object: a machine, person, process, or suspect. Without an external object, movement commonly uses the reflexive form. Start by identifying the grammatical job and the relationship between the surrounding words. That decision is more dependable than matching one isolated English translation.
A practical decision table
| Learner decision | French pattern | Example | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| stop an object | arrêter + noun | Arrêtez le moteur. | The action affects an object. |
| come to a stop | s’arrêter | La voiture s’arrête. | The subject stops moving. |
| stop doing | arrêter de + infinitive | Il arrête de fumer. | De introduces the abandoned activity. |
| arrest | arrêter quelqu’un | On a arrêté le voleur. | Context gives the police meaning. |
Le bus s’arrête devant la gare. → The bus stops in front of the station.
Meaning and usage
Cesser is more formal, interrompre stresses interruption, and empêcher means preventing an action rather than stopping one already underway. Compare complete sentences aloud: the article, preposition, verb pattern, or sound often supplies evidence that disappears on a one-word flashcard.
Arrête de crier! → Stop shouting!
Group 1: arrêter de + infinitive.
La voiture s’est arrêtée. → The car stopped.
Group 2: reflexive, s’arrêter.
Il a été arrêté par la police. → He was arrested by the police.
Group 3: passive, to be arrested.
Arrête de parler une minute. → Stop talking for a minute.
Examples in context
For the learner decision “stop an object,” the examples move across different speakers and situations. Read the French first, predict the intended relationship, and only then check the English gloss. A useful example should teach a fresh decision rather than decorate a rule already understood.
J’arrête de fumer. → I’m quitting smoking.
Arrêtez-vous ici. → Stop here.
La police a arrêté le suspect. → The police arrested the suspect.
Nuance and register
Arrête ! is ordinary but direct. Arrêtez, s’il vous plaît softens it; Ça suffit focuses on an intolerable situation. Tone belongs to meaning. A grammatically possible choice can still be too direct, literary, familiar, technical, or old-fashioned for a particular audience.
J’ai arrêté la machine. → I stopped the machine.
Common Mistakes
Do not omit de before a following infinitive, and do not use the non-reflexive form for a vehicle simply coming to a stop. Revision should cover the entire phrase, including agreement and any required preposition. Correcting only the highlighted word often leaves the underlying error intact.
Nous nous sommes arrêtés pour déjeuner. → We stopped to have lunch.
Related Expressions
Related forms are useful only when their boundary is clear. Contrast s’arrêter with arrêter de + infinitive, then explain which change in grammar or context selects one over the other.
Similar/Confusing Words
Classify each scene as object, self-motion, ended activity, arrest, or interruption before choosing the construction. Say each answer aloud, change one element, and explain why the resulting sentence still fits-or no longer fits-the intended pattern.
Practice
A final review of “arrest” should connect form, meaning, context, and sound. If those clues point in the same direction, the choice is ready for active use; if they conflict, return to the decision table and a complete example.
Memory tip: build a reliable retrieval cue
External object: arrêter quelque chose. Subject stops itself: s’arrêter. Activity ends: arrêter de faire. Retrieval improves when the cue includes grammar, sound, and one meaningful situation. Revisit it after a delay, change the subject or noun, and check whether the same choice still works. A useful memory rule should lead to a sentence you can actually say, not merely to an English translation.
For a delayed review, cover the French column of the decision table and start with the learner decision “stop an object.” Reconstruct the pattern from memory, then compare it with “come to a stop” and explain what changes. The explanation “The action affects an object.” should be recoverable without looking. If it is not, return to the complete example and say it twice at a natural pace.
Next reverse the task. Begin with “Il arrête de fumer.” and identify the clue that selects arrêter de + infinitive. Contrast it with the final row, where the relevant idea is “arrest.” Change the subject, tense, number, or setting while preserving the governing relationship. Finish by writing one personal example and one deliberate near-miss, then correct the near-miss aloud. This cycle tests recognition, production, and self-correction instead of rewarding visual familiarity with the original sentence. Review it again the next day.
Related reading
Continue learning with LexiFr
LexiFr helps you review words like this with context, nuance, pronunciation, and spaced repetition.
Free to start - no ads, no streak guilt. Your first 200 words are waiting.
Questions about this note
How should I handle “stop an object”?
Begin with arrêter + noun and the example “Arrêtez le moteur.”. The action affects an object.
Why does the pattern s’arrêter matter?
It handles a different learner decision from arrêter de + infinitive. Compare the two complete examples before choosing an English gloss.
What context matters for “arrest”?
The neutral pattern remains the safest default. For arrêter, audience and sentence purpose matter whenever a choice is marked as literary, familiar, formal, technical, or especially direct.
How can I practise with “On a arrêté le voleur.”?
Write a new sentence modelled on that form, then change one grammatical element while preserving the relationship explained in the table.