The difference between FERMARE and SMETTERE
Misusing or swapping the verbs
Instead, Italians have two different verbs to indicate the action of stopping. One verb is fermare and the other one is smettere. How different are they? Well, they are used with a different meaning and this depends on the nature of the action they are describing.
Let’s have a look at their usage:
WHEN TO USE FERMARE
Fermare is the action of stopping something or someone.
We can also say that the verb fermare simply describes a movement that is physically stopped by an intervention from outside.
EXAMPLE
- Ho
fermato quella ragazza che mipiaceva tanto perchiederle il numero – I stopped that girl that I liked so much to ask for her phone number - Ho
fermato lamacchina – I stopped the car
As you might have noticed, when the action described by the verb is transitive (meaning the verb is followed by a direct or indirect object like la
EXAMPLE
- L’autobus si è
– the bus stoppedfermato - Mi
sono al bar perchéfermato ic’erano amici – I stopped by the bar because some friends of mine were theremiei
WHEN TO USE SMETTERE
Smettere means stopping doing something and does not involve an idea of movement.
In short, it has the meaning of ceasing or quitting and is always followed by the preposition di and an infinitive verb.
Smettere can never be followed by a noun (ho smesso di lavoro)
EXAMPLE
- Vorrei
s dimettere – I’d like to quit smokingfumare - Ho
dismesso perlavorare dedicarmi miaalla – I stopped working to spend more time with my familyfamiglia
Attenzione! Smettere has an irregular past tense: ho smesso, hai smesso, etc…
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