脑子宕机

• Pinyin: nǎo zǐ dàng jī
• Hanzi breakdown: 脑子 is brain or mind; 宕机 means a machine crash or outage.

Meaning

The mind freezes like a crashed computer.

脑子宕机 is a vivid way to say you blanked out, could not process information, or stopped responding for a moment. It can happen from shock, overload, embarrassment, or sleepiness.

Examples

1. 老师突然点我名，我脑子宕机了。 The teacher suddenly called on me, and my mind crashed.
2. 信息量太大，听到一半脑子宕机。 There was so much information that halfway through I completely froze mentally.
3. 脑子宕机时，先别急着硬答。 When your mind crashes, don't rush to answer from force of habit.

Usage Guide

Context: class, work, awkward moments

Tone: blank, comic

Do Say

• 刚才问题太突然，我脑子宕机了。（Natural for momentary blanking.）
• 脑子宕机常带一点自嘲语气。（Shows tone.）

Don't Say

• 长期认知困难只说脑子宕机。（For serious concerns, describe symptoms clearly and seek help.）

Common Mistakes

• Using 宕机 only for devices; in slang 脑子宕机 is a common mental-freeze metaphor.

Origin & History

From 宕机, computer or server crash, applied metaphorically to the brain.

Cultural Context

Era: 2020s

Generation: Gen Z and younger Millennials, now common in broader online speech

Social background: Students, young professionals, and social media users

Regional notes: Common in Mainland Chinese online venting, workplace chat, student life, and everyday complaint contexts.