smettere
Lemma: smettere
Translation: to stop; to quit; to cease; to discontinue (verb)
Etymology: From Latin 'ex' (out) + 'mittere' (to send, put), literally meaning 'to put out' or 'to send away'. The semantic evolution went from 'putting something away' to 'stopping an activity'. This shares the same Latin root as English words like 'emit', 'transmit', and 'mission', all containing the idea of sending or putting something somewhere.
Example Usage
Devi smettere di fumare.
You need to stop smoking.
Ho smesso di studiare alle dieci.
I stopped studying at ten.
Smettila di fare rumore!
Stop making noise!
Non smetterò mai di amarti.
I will never stop loving you.
Smettila di parlare!
Stop talking!
Quando smetterai di lavorare oggi?
When will you stop working today?
Ha smesso di piovere.
It stopped raining.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'submit' but with stopping or quitting - you 'submit' to the idea of stopping an activity.
- Associate with 'emit' (send out) but in reverse - you're sending away or putting out an activity.
- Smettere sounds a bit like 'smother' - you're smothering or putting out an activity.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
A very common verb in everyday Italian. Often used in imperative forms like 'smettila!' (stop it!) in casual conversation. The concept of 'smettere di fumare' (quitting smoking) is particularly common in health campaigns in Italy.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Smettere' means 'to stop' while 'mettere' means 'to put' or 'to place'. 'Smettere' is actually derived from 'mettere' with the 's-' prefix indicating separation or removal.
Notes: The prefix 's-' in Italian often indicates separation, removal, or negation of the root verb.
Mnemonic: The 's' in 'smettere' stands for 'stop', while 'mettere' without the 's' is just about putting things in place.
Explanation: 'Smettere' means 'to stop' while 'permettere' means 'to allow' or 'to permit' - almost opposite meanings.
Notes: Both verbs share the root 'mettere' but with different prefixes that significantly change the meaning.
Mnemonic: 'Permettere' has 'per' (for) + 'mettere' (to put) suggesting putting something forward for approval, while 'smettere' has 's' (away) + 'mettere' suggesting putting something away or stopping.