Smettere and fermare are two verbs that might confuse English speakers at first because in English the translation for both verbs is always “to stop”.
However, in Italian, as you might have already guessed, smettere and fermare hold distinct meanings and applications.
So, today you will learn how to use smettere and fermare in Italian properly.
Smettere
“Smettere” is a verb that primarily conveys the idea of ceasing or quitting an action, habit, or behavior. It generally is a personal decision. “Smettere” implies discontinuing an activity or stopping a particular action altogether. Here are some key aspects of “smettere”:
– “Smettere” is typically used with infinitive verbs and it’s always followed by the preposition di. For example:
• “Ho smesso di fumare.” (I quit smoking.)
• “Devi smettere di parlare.” (You need to stop talking.)
• “Marco ha smesso di mangiare carne.” (Marco stopped eating meat.)
• “Abbiamo deciso di smettere di litigare.” (We decided to stop arguing.)
Fermare
“Fermare,” on the other hand, primarily means halting or stopping something in its tracks. It often implies a more external force or action that brings about the cessation of movement or an activity. So, it’s frequently used for physically stopping objects, people, vehicles, or actions in motion. For instance:
• “Il poliziotto ha fermato il traffico.” (The policeman stopped the traffic.)
• “Ho fermato la palla con le mani.” (I stopped the ball with my hands.)
Of course, while “fermare” can imply a complete halt, it can also suggest a temporary pause or interruption. It depends on the context in which it’s used.
Moreover, as you can notice from the examples above, fermare is generally followed by a direct object. It can’t be followed by an infinitive.
– “Fermare” can used with direct objects. For example:
• “Ferma la macchina!” -> “Fermala!” (Stop the car! -> Stop it!)
• “Hanno fermato il ladro.” -> “L’hanno fermato” (They stopped the thief -> They stopped him)
Let’s compare some sentences:
To further clarify the difference between “smettere” and “fermare,” let’s look at some examples:
a. Smettere: “Ho smesso di leggere il libro.” (I quit reading the book.)
In this sentence, “smettere” indicates a personal decision to stop reading, emphasizing the action of quitting voluntarily.
b. Fermare: “Ettore, ferma la stampante! Non vedi che sta stampando solo righe nere?!” (Ettore, stop the printer! Can’t you see that it is printing only black lines!).
“Fermare” is used to express the action of physically do something to stop the printer.
c. Smettere: “Devo smettere di mangiare dolci per la mia salute.” (I need to stop eating sweets for my health.)
“Smettere” emphasizes the individual’s decision to quit doing something she had been doing for a long time for health reasons.
d. Fermare: “Ho fermato il cane prima che potesse scappare.” (I stopped the dog before it could escape.)
In this case, “fermare” is used to express the action of physically halting the dog from escaping.
So do you think you’ve understood the difference or avete smesso di leggere l’articolo dopo pochi paragrafi? (or did you stop reading the article after a few paragraphs?).
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