Chinese word

发愣

Pronunciation

Pinyinfā lèng

Meaning

  • verbbe stunned

Example

听到这个消息，他当场发愣。tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xī tā dāng chǎng fā lèng

When he heard the news, he was stunned on the spot.

Illustration for 发愣 (be stunned)

More examples

他站在窗前发愣好一会儿，结果错过了公交车。tā zhàn zài chuāng qián fā lèng hǎo yí huìr jié guǒ cuò guò le gōng jiāo chē

He stood by the window staring blankly for quite a while and ended up missing the bus.

Core concept

A sudden gap opens between noticing something and reacting, so expression and movement hang still for a moment.

Common phrases

  • 发愣好一会儿fā lèng hǎo yí huìr

    stare blankly for quite a while

Similar words

发呆fā dāi: To remain in a dreamy, unfocused state for some time while thinking or feeling tired.
呆住dāi zhù: To freeze suddenly, with the body or face held still by surprise or fear.
愣住lèng zhù: To be unable to move briefly because of an unexpected event.

Definition in Chinese

因惊讶、困惑或措手不及而短时间表情呆滞或动作停顿。yīn jīng yà kùn huò huò cuò shǒu bù jí ér duǎn shí jiān biǎo qíng dāi zhì huò dòng zuò tíng dùn

Word origin

发 (fā, "to enter a state") + 愣 (lèng, "blank or dazed") forms a verb for the onset of a brief mental and physical pause.

Usage tips

  • The word fits both a silent blank look and a delayed movement, so it describes an outward reaction rather than simply quiet thinking.

Other meanings

  • space outverb
  • be in a dazeverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word