发愣

• Pinyin: fā lèng
• Hanzi breakdown: 发 = 弓 + 殳 — to produce, give rise to; 愣 = 忄(heart) + 棱 (edge/corner) — a heart that has gone rigid and angular, a frozen mental state

Meaning

To be in a daze; to stare blankly; to be momentarily stupefied or lost in thought. An involuntary state of mental absence.

Describes the outward appearance of someone whose mind has wandered or been stunned into blankness. Common in literary prose and casual speech. Often combined with 坐着发愣 (sitting in a daze) or 站在那里发愣 (standing there blankly).

Examples

1. 她盯着窗外的雨幕发愣，思绪不知不觉地飘回到了多年前那个同样阴雨绵绵的傍晚。 She stared blankly at the curtain of rain outside the window, and her thoughts drifted back, without realizing it, to that similarly rainy evening many years ago.
2. 老师叫了他三声名字，他才从发愣的状态中猛然惊醒，不好意思地站起来回答问题。 The teacher called his name three times before he suddenly snapped out of his daze and stood up, embarrassed, to answer the question.
3. 宣布结果的那一刻，获奖者愣在台上，既没有立刻上前，也没有开口说话，发了好几秒的愣才缓过神来。 At the moment the results were announced, the winner froze onstage—neither stepping forward nor saying a word—staring blankly for several seconds before coming back to their senses.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, literary, emotional, interpersonal

Tone: observational

Do Say

• 下班后她坐在空办公室里发愣，盯着刚收到的解约通知。(After work, she sat dazed in the empty office, staring at the termination notice she had just received.)
• 这孩子课间休息时常常一个人坐在角落里发愣，班主任出于关心主动找他谈话，才发现他在家里正经历一段相当困难的时期。(This child often sat alone in a corner during breaks, staring into space; the homeroom teacher, concerned, took the initiative to speak with him and only then discovered he was going through a rather difficult period at home.)

Don't Say

• 我发愣地看着他 — 发愣 is not an adverb and cannot directly modify a verb; say 我发着愣看着他 or 我呆呆地望着他 for the correct construction

Origin & History

发 (to give rise to) + 愣 (daze/stupor) — to enter a state of blankness or stupefaction

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal