呼び止める

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 呼び止める is read as よびとめる and is a transitive verb meaning to call to and stop someone leaving or passing.
• Basic usage: Stopping a departing customer appears in 客を呼び止める, while stopping an attendant to ask appears in 駅員を呼び止めて尋ねる.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Person as object
  • Mark the person called to a stop with を.
• Difference from 呼ぶ
  • 呼び止める does not merely call someone but stops a person who is moving away.