Definition
搁浅 (gē qiǎn) literally means a ship running aground, and figuratively describes a plan, negotiation, or project that stalls because it hits an obstacle. Unlike 破裂 (pò liè), which means a complete breakdown or rupture, 搁浅 suggests a temporary halt that might be resumed. It also differs from 滞留 (zhì liú), which refers to people or substances being stuck somewhere, not to abstract processes.
verb
(of a ship) to run agroundbe stranded(figurative) to stallto be deadlocked (of plans, negotiations, etc.)
Examples
- 搁浅。Nà sōu huòlún zài bàofēngyǔ zhōng gē qiǎn le.That cargo ship ran aground in the storm.
- 搁浅。Shuāngfāng de màoyì tánpàn yīn guānshuì fēnqí ér gē qiǎn.The trade talks between the two sides stalled over tariff disagreements.
- ，搁浅。Zhège chuàngyè xiàngmù quēfá hòuxù tóuzī, yǐjīng gē qiǎn le.This startup project has run aground due to lack of follow-up funding.
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