The Present Tense of Parar is used to describe actions happening right now or habitual actions, for example: Paro el coche en la gasolinera. (I stop the car at the gas station.)

Parar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the present tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Parar (to stop) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Parar generally means to stop or halt something, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To stop an action: For example, Paro de hablar cuando me interrumpen. (I stop talking when they interrupt me.)

To stop moving: For example, Paro el coche en el semáforo. (I stop the car at the traffic light.)

To stand up or get up: For example, Me paro temprano todos los días. (I get up early every day.)

To set up or establish something: For example, Paro una mesa para la cena. (I set up a table for dinner.)

To pay attention or listen (colloquial): For example, ¡Para la oreja, chico! (Pay attention, dude!)

To stop someone from doing something (colloquial): For example, ¡Para la mano, no me toques! (Stop it, don’t touch me!)

Examples

Examples of Parar in the Present Tense

Cada mañana paro el despertador a las 6 am. (Every morning I stop the alarm at 6 am.)

Tú paras el coche en el semáforo rojo. (You stop the car at the red light.)

Mi hermana para de trabajar a las 5 pm. (My sister stops working at 5 pm.)

Nosotros paramos de estudiar para tomar un descanso. (We stop studying to take a break.)

Ellos paran de correr cuando se cansan. (They stop running when they get tired.)

¿Paras de hablar por un momento? (¡No puedo escuchar!) (Do you stop talking for a moment? (I can’t hear!))

Cuando llueve, paramos de jugar al aire libre. (When it rains, we stop playing outside.)

Los niños paran de gritar cuando la maestra entra. (The kids stop shouting when the teacher comes in.)

¿Por qué paras de comer? ¿No te gusta la comida? (Why do you stop eating? Don’t you like the food?)

Siempre paro de trabajar a las 6 pm para pasar tiempo con mi familia. (I always stop working at 6 pm to spend time with my family.)

Cuando paramos en un restaurante, pedimos la cuenta. (When we stop at a restaurant, we ask for the bill.)

El DJ para la música a la medianoche. (The DJ stops the music at midnight.)

¿Puedes parar de molestar a tu hermano? (Can you stop bothering your brother?)

Nunca paramos de aprender cosas nuevas. (We never stop learning new things.)

Cuando paran las clases, los estudiantes salen del salón. (When classes stop, students leave the classroom.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Parar (to stop) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.