Usage of 止
The character 止 primarily means "to stop" or "to halt." It is often used in both literal and figurative contexts, such as stopping movement, stopping an action, or ceasing a condition like pain or rain.
Common Collocations
- 止步 (zhǐbù): to stop walking or to halt one's steps, often used to command or request someone to stop moving forward.
- 止痛药 (zhǐ tòng yào): painkiller, literally "stop pain medicine."
- 止血 (zhǐ xiě): to stop bleeding.
Notes on Usage
止 can be used as a verb meaning "to stop" or "to cease." It often appears in compound words and formal contexts. When used alone, it can be a command or a descriptive verb.
Be careful not to confuse 止 with 停 (tíng), which also means "to stop" but is more commonly used for vehicles or machines stopping, while 止 is more general and can be used for abstract stopping like stopping pain or stopping rain.
Register and Tone
止 is neutral in tone and can be used in both spoken and written Chinese, though it appears more frequently in written or formal contexts.