← Back to Fala2Me

stand still

[/stænd stɪl/]
verb phrase
ficar imóvel, permanecer parado
1. to remain in one place without moving
Stand still while I take your photograph.
Fique imóvel enquanto tiro sua fotografia.
2. to stop moving or progressing; to cease activity
The economy cannot stand still; it must grow or decline.
A economia não pode ficar parada; deve crescer ou declinar.
3. to remain unchanged or static
Time seems to stand still when you're having fun.
O tempo parece parar quando você está se divertindo.
Synonyms
remain motionlessstay puthold one's positionfreezebe stationary
Antonyms
moveprogressadvanceproceedgo

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ficar imóvel, ficar parado
Most common usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
ficar parado, não se mexer
Colloquial preference for 'não se mexer'
São Paulo
ficar imóvel, parar de se mover
Standard usage
Portugal
ficar imóvel, permanecer parado
Preference for 'permanecer' in more formal contexts

Related Idioms & Phrases

stand one's ground
stand the test of time
make a stand
can't hold a candle to
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →