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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing freezing in place with 僵住 (jiāngzhù)

    Actions & Events
    Description & Modification

    Structure

    Subject + 僵住 + 了

    Explanation

    僵住 (jiāngzhù) means "to freeze" or "to become rigid," describing someone who suddenly stops moving due to shock, fear, or surprise. The character 僵 conveys stiffness, and 住 indicates the state of being fixed in place. It is commonly used in narrative and descriptive writing.

    Examples

    • 听到那个消息，她整个人都僵住了。

      tīngdào nà ge xiāoxi, tā zhěnggè rén dōu jiāngzhù le.

      Upon hearing that news, she froze completely.

    • 他一打开门就僵住了，完全没想到大家在里面。

      tā yì dǎkāi mén jiù jiāngzhù le, wánquán méi xiǎngdào dàjiā zài lǐmiàn.

      The moment he opened the door, he froze — he had no idea everyone was inside.

    • 台上的演员突然忘词，整个人僵住了好几秒。

      táishàng de yǎnyuán tūrán wàng cí, zhěnggè rén jiāngzhù le hǎo jǐ miǎo.

      The actor on stage suddenly forgot their lines and froze for several seconds.

    Expressing freezing in place with 僵住 (jiāngzhù) | Chinese Grammar