怔住 (zhèng zhù) — to be stunned, to be dumbfounded (verb)

Definition

怔住 means to freeze on the spot in shock — a sudden, brief loss of words or reaction. It describes the stunned reaction itself (often a momentary pause), more vivid than just saying someone was surprised.

verb
to be stunnedto be dumbfounded (verb)

Examples

  • ，怔住。
    Tā tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, yí xià zi jiù zhèng zhù le.
    He heard the news and was immediately stunned.
  • ，怔住，。
    Kàn dào nà ge chǎng jǐng, tā zhèng zhù le, shuō bù chū huà lái.
    Seeing that scene, she was stunned and couldn't speak.
  • ，怔住。
    Miàn duì tū rú qí lái de wèn tí, tā zhèng zhù le jǐ miǎo zhōng.
    Facing the sudden question, he was stunned for a few seconds.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

怔zhēngstunned
住zhùfixed

怔 gives the stunned state and 住 adds the sense of being fixed in it.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng怔zhèng
Same sound today

The 心 part is a heart, relating it to feelings or the mind, while 正 gives its sound.

Open 怔 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
主
主zhǔ住zhù
Same sound today

住 pairs 亻, the person radical (written fully as 人), with 主, which supplies the sound.

Open 住 →

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