フリーズ
Meaning: Freeze — when a device, app, or screen becomes completely unresponsive and stops reacting to input.
Borrowed from English 'freeze,' this term describes the frustrating moment when a device or application stops responding entirely. Unlike 落ちる (crash), where the app shuts down, フリーズ means the screen is stuck — you can see it but cannot interact with it. The term is universally understood and used in both casual and professional tech contexts.
Examples
- パソコンがフリーズして何も動かない、助けて。 电脑死机了什么都动不了,救命。El ordenador se ha congelado y no se mueve nada, ayuda.컴퓨터가 프리즈해서 아무것도 안 움직여, 도와줘.
- アプリがフリーズしたから一回閉じて開き直した。 应用卡住了,关掉重新打开了一次。La aplicación se congeló, así que la cerré y la volví a abrir.앱이 프리즈해서 한 번 닫고 다시 열었어.
- 動画編集中にフリーズするの本当に勘弁してほしい。 视频剪辑中途死机真的受不了。Que se congele mientras estoy editando vídeo, de verdad que no lo aguanto.동영상 편집 중에 프리즈하는 건 정말 봐줄 수 없어.
Pronunciation
/ɸu.ɾiː.zu/
Usage Guide
Context: tech troubleshooting, daily conversation, work
Tone: frustrated
✓ Do Say
- フリーズしたら強制再起動するしかない。 (If it freezes, you have no choice but to force restart.)死机了就只能强制重启了。(If it freezes, you have no choice but to force restart.)Si se congela, no queda más remedio que forzar el reinicio.프리즈하면 강제 재시작할 수밖에 없어. (멈추면 강제 재부팅하는 수밖에 없어.)
- プレゼン中にパソコンフリーズして焦った。 (My computer froze during a presentation and I panicked.)演示的时候电脑死机了,急死了。(My computer froze during a presentation and I panicked.)Se me congeló el ordenador durante una presentación y me entró el pánico.프레젠테이션 중에 컴퓨터 프리즈돼서 당황했어. (발표 중에 컴퓨터가 멈춰서 식겁했어.)
✗ Don't Say
- フリーズと落ちるを混同しない — フリーズは固まる、落ちるは終了する (Don't confuse freeze with crash — freeze means stuck, crash means shut down)不要混淆死机和崩溃——死机是画面卡住不动,崩溃是程序直接关闭No confundas congelarse con cerrarse — congelarse significa que se queda bloqueado, cerrarse significa que se apaga프리즈와 다운을 혼동하지 말 것 — 프리즈는 멈추는 것, 다운은 종료되는 것이다 (freeze와 crash를 헷갈리지 말 것 — freeze는 화면이 멈추는 것, crash는 앱이 종료되는 것)
Common Mistakes
- Using フリーズ and 落ちる interchangeably — フリーズ means the screen is frozen, 落ちる means the app or system has shut down
Origin & History
Direct loanword from English 'freeze.' Has been used in Japanese computing vocabulary since the 1990s. Universally understood due to the intuitive metaphor of something being 'frozen' in place.
Cultural Context
Era: 1990s computing era
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Standard tech vocabulary understood by virtually everyone.
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