止める vs 止める(とめる and やめる) + 息


A very nice vocaloid song called "Rolling Girl" has a very strong sense of
lyrics. As I know, both やめる and とめる mean "to stop/to quit". However there are
2 sentences in the lyric that offers completely different meaning from each
other.

> 息をとめるの which means "to hold my breath"

Even though I thought it suppose to mean "to stop breathing". And then the
last lyric said :

> 息をやめるの which means "to stop breathing"

So I want to really know the differences especially since that both are
labeled transitive verbs.




Yes, the basic idea of these two is "to stop."

When we say 「やめる」, it implies that we give it up and it will not resume soon,
or even never.

For example, when we are playing outside and are to stop playing and go back
home, we tend to say 「今日はもう **やめ** よう」 but not 「今日はもう **とめ** よう」, because
playing is not likely to restart in the same day.

Another example is, when we say 「仕事を **やめる** 」 (which is given another kanji
「[辞]{や}める」), it usually means "to quit job" or equivalently "to leave
position."

Compared to that, 「とめる」 does not imply such a future intention.

Also, 「とめる」 usually means to stop something ongoing (but not something that
will happen). For example, when someone is planning to do a bad thing and we
want him to stop it, we can say 「やめて」 but not 「とめて」.

* * *

In this case of the song, 「息をやめる」 sounds like to stop breathing for a fairly
long time which leads health problems. On the other hand, 「息をとめる」 is to stop
breathing for a while, as we do when we dive into water. Although one can keep
stopping forever, 「息をとめる」 does not at all imply such a future.




Yes, the basic idea of these two is "to stop."

When we say 「やめる」, it implies that we give it up and it will not resume soon,
or even never.

For example, when we are playing outside and are to stop playing and go back
home, we tend to say 「今日はもう **やめ** よう」 but not 「今日はもう **とめ** よう」, because
playing is not likely to restart in the same day.

Another example is, when we say 「仕事を **やめる** 」 (which is given another kanji
「[辞]{や}める」), it usually means "to quit job" or equivalently "to leave
position."

Compared to that, 「とめる」 does not imply such a future intention.

Also, 「とめる」 usually means to stop something ongoing (but not something that
will happen). For example, when someone is planning to do a bad thing and we
want him to stop it, we can say 「やめて」 but not 「とめて」.

* * *

In this case of the song, 「息をやめる」 sounds like to stop breathing for a fairly
long time which leads health problems. On the other hand, 「息をとめる」 is to stop
breathing for a while, as we do when we dive into water. Although one can keep
stopping forever, 「息をとめる」 does not at all imply such a future.

