Dictionary — Entry No. 0583
멈춰
meomchwo · verb
멈춰
meomchwo
[mum-CHWO]
verbbeginner
Meaning
멈춰 is the casual imperative of 멈추다, meaning ‘stop’ or ‘freeze.’ It commands an immediate halt and carries a sense of sharp urgency. In K-Pop and K-Drama alike, 멈춰 punctuates moments of frozen tension — a standoff, a heartbeat suspended in time.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
Sharp stop-and-freeze choreography is a K-Pop signature, and 멈춰 is the word that commands it. EXO’s precise synchronized pauses became legendary in performances like ‘Power’ and ‘Growl.’ In K-Dramas, 멈춰 is shouted in high-octane chase sequences or whispered desperately — as in ‘stop, don’t leave me’ — giving it both physical and emotional registers.
Example Sentences
멈춰! 거기 서!
meomchwo! geogi seo!
‘Stop! Stay right there!’ — the urgent dual command in a chase scene or dangerous confrontation
시간이 멈춘 것 같아.
sigani meomchun geot gata
‘It feels like time has stopped.’ — poetic expression for an overwhelming emotional moment that seems to suspend reality
제발 멈춰줘.
jebal meomchwojwo
‘Please, just stop.’ — a desperate plea; softer and more emotional than the bare command form
⚠️ Don’t use meomchwo when…
멈춰 is casual — in formal or respectful contexts use 멈추세요 (meomchuseyo). Don’t confuse 멈춰 (stop a physical motion) with 그만해 (geumanhae, stop an ongoing activity or behavior) — they overlap but target different things.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Vincenzo — protagonist Vincenzo Cassano delivers ice-cold 멈춰 commands to enemies in the series’ high-stakes standoff scenes, making the word iconic for its menacing calm
- K-Pop: EXO — Power
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.