How to say "too frightened to move or speak" in Chinese
杜口裹足
dù kǒu guǒ zú
classroom · learning · intermediate · neutral
When To Use It
"too frightened to move or speak" maps to 杜口裹足 (dù kǒu guǒ zú), a neutral classroom phrase for learning situations.
Treat it as a core study phrase you should be able to recognize, pronounce, and recycle in your own beginner conversations.
Practice it first exactly as written, then swap in your own people, places, or objects so it becomes part of your active speaking repertoire.
Tone And Delivery
The register is neutral, which makes it flexible: safe in most daily situations without sounding stiff or overly intimate.
Because this is marked intermediate, focus on when it sounds natural, not just how to translate it word for word.
A good practice target is the example sentence 杜口裹足 (dù kǒu guǒ zú). Once that feels natural, shorten your pause and try it at conversation speed.
Practice Ideas
This phrase becomes more useful when you learn it as part of a mini-sequence. After saying it, a natural next step could be 武经总要 (wǔ jīng zǒng yào).
A second nearby phrase to review is 以药养医 (yǐ yào yǎng yī), which helps you stay in the same topic instead of translating from scratch again.
- Read the example “too frightened to move or speak” aloud, then replace one detail with your own information.
- Pair it with “"Collection of the Most Important Military Techniques", book published in 1044 during the Northern Song Dynasty” next so your conversation does not stop after a single line.
- Match the phrase to your tone of voice: soft for polite requests, flatter and quicker for routine daily use.
- If you hear a slightly different version in the wild, compare the tone and context before treating it as interchangeable.
Examples
杜口裹足
dù kǒu guǒ zú
too frightened to move or speak
Related
- "Collection of the Most Important Military Techniques", book published in 1044 during the Northern Song Dynasty — 武经总要 (wǔ jīng zǒng yào)
- "drugs serving to nourish doctors", perceived problem in PRC medical practice — 以药养医 (yǐ yào yǎng yī)
- "sensational headline writers", people who write misleading titles in order to generate clicks from Internet users — 标题党 (biāo tí dǎng)
- a coloring book — 着色书 (zhuó sè shū)
Explore more phrases on the How to say index or try the Chinese Name Generator.
Phrase FAQ
How do you say "too frightened to move or speak" in Chinese?
杜口裹足 (dù kǒu guǒ zú).
When should I use this phrase?
Use it in learning situations where a neutral tone fits. Because it is tagged intermediate, it is meant to be practical and reusable rather than literary or highly specialized.
Is pronunciation included?
Yes. Every phrase page includes pinyin with tone marks, plus example sentences so you can hear how the wording expands in real use.
What should I learn next after this phrase?
A useful follow-up is 武经总要 (wǔ jīng zǒng yào) — ""Collection of the Most Important Military Techniques", book published in 1044 during the Northern Song Dynasty". Studying connected phrases in small clusters makes them easier to recall in conversation.