Translation guide
How to express that movement, progress, or activity stops completely in Japanese.
To say that vehicles, people, or physical movement has halted completely.
General verb for something moving coming to a stop. Intransitive.
The car suddenly came to a standstill.
Traffic has come to a complete standstill.
To be stuck and unable to move, often used for vehicles in snow or traffic jams.
Cars came to a standstill due to heavy snow.
Loanword from English, used in casual or technical contexts.
The machine suddenly came to a standstill.
To say that work, negotiations, or a process has stopped making progress.
To reach a deadlock or impasse; progress is blocked.
Negotiations have come to a standstill.
To stagnate; used for economic activity, projects, or personal growth.
The economy has come to a standstill.
Also used metaphorically for processes stopping.
To describe a moment when everything feels frozen or paused.
Literally 'time stops', used for dramatic or emotional moments.
At that moment, it felt like time came to a standstill.
止まる is the most general and can be used for physical and metaphorical stopping. 立ち往生 specifically means being stuck and unable to move, often due to external obstacles. 行き詰まる is for deadlocks in negotiations or creative blocks.
The elevator stopped.
The bus got stuck in the snow.
The research has hit a dead end.
Construction has come to a standstill.