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卡壳

卡殼
qiǎké
verb #24,526

Meanings

  1. 1 to jam (of a gun or mechanism)
  2. 2 to get stuck
  3. 3 to reach an impasse
  4. 4 to freeze up

Examples

HSK 4
演讲时他突然卡壳，不知道下面该说什么。
Yǎnjiǎng shí tā tūrán qiǎké, bù zhīdào xiàmiàn gāi shuō shénme.
He suddenly froze up during his speech and didn't know what to say next.
HSK 5
枪突然卡壳了，他无法射击。
Qiāng tūrán qiǎké le, tā wúfǎ shèjī.
The gun suddenly jammed and he couldn't fire.
HSK 5
谈判卡壳了，双方无法达成协议。
Tánpàn qiǎké le, shuāngfāng wúfǎ dáchéng xiéyì.
The negotiations stalled and both sides couldn't reach an agreement.

Tips

usage
Originally a firearms term (a cartridge shell getting stuck in the chamber), 卡壳 is now widely used figuratively for any situation that gets stuck - a stalled computer, a halted negotiation, or a speaker who loses their train of thought.

Stroke Order

卡 kǎ
壳 ké