とまらない in One Punch Man OP meaning とまれない (negative potential)


The negative form of 止{と}まる (to stop) is **止まらない** , and the negative
potential form is 止まれない.

However, I've noticed that **止まらない** can be used in the sense of 止まれない. For
example, the OP for One Punch Man goes like this:

> ONE PUNCH!
>
> (Three! Two! One! Kill shot!)
>
> 参{さん}上{じょう}！ 必{ひっ}勝{しょう}！ 至{し}上{じょう} 最{さい}強{きょう}!
>
> なんだってんだ？ フラストレーション 俺{おれ}は **止まらない** (meaning: Nobody can stop me)
>
> <http://www.lyrical-nonsense.com/lyrics/jam-project/the-hero-ikareru-
> kobushi-ni-hi-wo-tsukero/#page=Japanese>

Other examples:

  2. "Help! I can't stop!" = 「助{たす}けて。 **止まらない** 。」<http://japanese.about.com/blpod021101.htm>

  3. The song 涙{なみだ}が **止まらない** 放{ほう}課{か}後{ご} is translated as "Unstoppable Tears After School". Wouldn't "Unstoppable Tears" mean 涙が止まれない? <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namida_ga_Tomaranai_H%C5%8Dkago>

Why is this so? Are there other verbs that behave like this?




Well, it appears to me that you're confused with the transitivity of 止まる.
While the English word "stop" is used both transitively (as in "I stopped the
taxi.") and intransitively (as in "Then the taxi stopped."), 止まる is _always
intransitive_. The transitive version is 止める, and its potential form is 止められる.

So 俺は止まらない just means "I don't stop" or "I will never stop." The translation
in the linked site, "Nobody can stop me," is a kind of free translation.

And 「助けて、止まらない」 means "Help! This [car/horse/machine/etc] won't stop!", not "I
can't stop [something]!" (I don't think English speakers usually say "This car
can't stop!" either, but correct me if I'm wrong)

涙が止まらない is a natural way to say "tears keep falling down", but 涙が止まれない sounds
very unnatural, because tears don't have their own will and they don't move or
stop actively. (私が)涙を止められない makes sense.




Well, it appears to me that you're confused with the transitivity of 止まる.
While the English word "stop" is used both transitively (as in "I stopped the
taxi.") and intransitively (as in "Then the taxi stopped."), 止まる is _always
intransitive_. The transitive version is 止める, and its potential form is 止められる.

So 俺は止まらない just means "I don't stop" or "I will never stop." The translation
in the linked site, "Nobody can stop me," is a kind of free translation.

And 「助けて、止まらない」 means "Help! This [car/horse/machine/etc] won't stop!", not "I
can't stop [something]!" (I don't think English speakers usually say "This car
can't stop!" either, but correct me if I'm wrong)

涙が止まらない is a natural way to say "tears keep falling down", but 涙が止まれない sounds
very unnatural, because tears don't have their own will and they don't move or
stop actively. (私が)涙を止められない makes sense.

