Berhentilah

Berhentilah is an Indonesian imperative form meaning “stop it” or “please stop.” It is formed from the verb berhenti (to stop) with the enclitic particle -lah, which adds emphasis or urgency to a command. The construction is commonly used to address the second person and often omits an explicit subject.

In usage, berhentilah is employed to urge someone to cease an action that is ongoing or about to begin. It can appear in casual speech, formal writing, public campaigns, or media, and its tone ranges from urgent to pleading depending on context and intonation. Examples include: Berhentilah merokok. Berhentilah membuang sampah sembarangan. Berhentilah sekarang, kita butuh waktu untuk berpikir.

Grammatically, berhentilah is one of several imperatives formed with -lah and does not change for different subjects since the subject is usually implied. It is distinct from phrases like jangan berhenti, which negate the action (don’t stop) rather than command stopping. The exact level of politeness or force can be adjusted with additional words or context, such as Tolong berhentilah or Berhenti sekarang.

Etymologically, berhenti comes from Indonesian/Malay roots meaning to cease or halt, while -lah is a sentence-ending particle that softens or emphasizes commands in everyday language. Berhentilah thus reflects a direct but context-sensitive exhortation commonly found in spoken Indonesian and Indonesian-language media.