Parar means 'to stop', and it is a regular -ar verb useful in transport, directions and narrative. El tren para en cada estación (the train stops at every station). The reflexive pararse means to come to a stop or, in some regions, to stand up. The structure parar de + infinitive means to stop doing something: no para de llover (it won't stop raining). It overlaps with dejar de. Because stopping and starting feature in so much description and storytelling, parar is a handy everyday verb, and its forms are entirely regular.
Quick facts
Parar (to stop) is a regular -ar verb.
Real sentences across different tenses — the kind of thing you'd actually say or write.
El autobús para aquí (the bus stops here).
Parar de + infinitive: no para de llover.
Pararse (to come to a stop).
Close to dejar de (to stop doing).
Fixed expressions worth knowing — they come up in listening, reading and writing tasks.
Idiomatic expressions
parar is a regular -ar verb — it follows the standard -ar pattern in every tense. That makes it a good one to drill: if you know parar, you know the template for all regular -ar verbs.
Type conjugations from memory and get instant feedback. That's how you actually build the automatic recall the exam needs — not from reading tables.
Practice parar now →Three questions, no account needed. Type the form, then press Enter or tap Check.
yo: paro, tú: paras, él: para, nosotros: paramos, vosotros: paráis, ellos: paran
The past participle is parado (he parado) and the gerund is parando (estoy parando).
Verbs that are easy to confuse with parar or that behave like it.
Parar is on the AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas GCSE Spanish vocabulary lists. Compare the exam boards.
Written by Daniel Holmes for GCSE & A-Level Spanish students.