sostare

to stop; to halt temporarily

verb soh-STAH-reh Rare

Also means

to linger

Usage Note

Sostare implies a brief, deliberate stop — often used for vehicles or people pausing in transit. Vietato sostare is the standard Italian road-sign phrase meaning 'no stopping/parking'. It takes avere as its auxiliary. Do not confuse with fermarsi (to stop, more general) or parcheggiare (to park a vehicle for longer).

Examples

"È vietato sostare in questa zona."

Natural Translation

Stopping is forbidden in this area.

Free starter pack

Building your Italian vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

C'è vs Ci Sono: There Is/Are in Italian

C'è for one thing, ci sono for many — that's the rule. Master Italian's there is/there are with c'era, ci sarà, è vs c'è, and non c'è nessuno.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Avere Fame: Why Italians "Have" Hunger, Not "Are"

In Italian you say Ho fame (I have hunger), never sono fame. Learn the avere + noun rule for fame, freddo, paura, age, and the sono caldo trap to avoid.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Noun Gender: Rules, Endings & Exceptions

Italian noun gender decoded: -o is usually masculine, -a feminine, but -zione and -tà are feminine, -ore and -ma masculine. Plus the trap words to memorize.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Adjective Agreement & Placement Made Simple

Italian adjectives agree in gender and number and usually sit after the noun. Master the -o/-a/-i/-e endings, the BAGS rule, and meaning-shifting pairs.

June 5, 2026 5 min read