怔住 (zhèngzhù): to be stunned

Meanings

1 to be stunned
2 to be dumbfounded
3 to freeze (in surprise)

Characters

怔

zhèng

stunned; staring blankly

住

zhù

(resultative) to stop; to fix in place

Examples

听到这个消息，他一下子怔住了。

Tīngdào zhège xiāoxī, tā yīxiàzi zhèngzhù le.

Hearing the news, he was momentarily stunned.

她怔住了，半天说不出话。

Tā zhèngzhù le, bàntiān shuō bu chū huà.

She froze, unable to speak for a long while.

Tips

grammar

住 here is a resultative complement meaning ‘fixed in place / held’. Compare 愣住 (lèngzhù, dazed-stuck, near-synonym) and 站住 (zhànzhù, halt). The -住 anchors the surprise: not just startled, but frozen by it.

Stroke Order

怔 zhèng

住 zhù

Related Words

愣住 lèngzhù #33,444

to be stunned / to be dumbfounded / to freeze in surprise

怔怔 zhèngzhèng

in a daze / staring blankly / stunned and motionless

住院 zhùyuàn HSK 2 #4,574

to be hospitalized / to be admitted to hospital

住嘴 zhùzuǐ #4,522

to shut up / to hold one's tongue / to stop talking

住处 zhùchù HSK 7 #4,165

residence / dwelling / place to live

站住 zhànzhù HSK 2 #2,831

to stop; to stand still / halt!

住手 zhùshǒu #1,480

to stop / to halt / hold it

抓住 zhuāzhù HSK 3 #706

to grab hold of; to seize firmly / to capture; to catch

住 zhù HSK 1 #209

to live / to reside / to stay

住所 zhùsuǒ #6,200

dwelling / residence / domicile