How do I parse やめときます?


I came across the phrase やめときます in alc.co.jp, which is apparently translated
to things like "I'll pass" or "I'd better not."

It didn't appear as a stand-alone word in the dictionaries I checked, so I'm
wondering if it's a contracted form of two other words.

Just for the sake of making a guess...I'll guess that it's 止め (imperative form
of 止む) and 説く.




やめときます would be the て-form of 止{や}める with the auxiliary verb おく, which has a
number of meanings but in this case probably indicates that the speaker will
go ahead and stop doing something in anticipation of a certain result, or that
they are admitting that a situation is a certain way and will leave it as it
is.

> 止{や}めて＋おきます＝止{や}めときます

It would literally mean that the speaker will stop doing something, or give up
on doing something in order to leave things as they are. As you've mentioned,
both interpretations could idiomatically be translated as “I had better not
(do it/anything),” or “I will pass (on doing it/anything).”




やめときます would be the て-form of 止{や}める with the auxiliary verb おく, which has a
number of meanings but in this case probably indicates that the speaker will
go ahead and stop doing something in anticipation of a certain result, or that
they are admitting that a situation is a certain way and will leave it as it
is.

> 止{や}めて＋おきます＝止{や}めときます

It would literally mean that the speaker will stop doing something, or give up
on doing something in order to leave things as they are. As you've mentioned,
both interpretations could idiomatically be translated as “I had better not
(do it/anything),” or “I will pass (on doing it/anything).”

