hang-up / lapse / trailer
Loading your saved state.
lapse
Informal term for a brief, unexpected lapse in memory or concentration, especially when speaking or thinking. You suddenly no longer know how to continue.
Mitten im Vortrag hatte ich einen totalen Hänger und wusste nicht mehr, was ich sagen wollte.
In the middle of the presentation, I had a total lapse and no longer knew what I wanted to say.
slump
Informal term for a phase in which you feel listless, unmotivated, or underperforming; a motivational low.
Nach dem Urlaub hatte ich bei der Arbeit erstmal einen richtigen Hänger.
After the vacation, I first had a real slump at work.
trailer
Informal short form for an 'Anhänger' (trailer), a vehicle without its own drive that is pulled by a towing vehicle.
Wir müssen noch den Hänger ankuppeln, um die Gartenabfälle wegzubringen.
We still need to hitch up the trailer to take away the garden waste.
The word 'Hänger' comes from the verb 'hängen' (to hang). The basic idea is that something is stuck or not moving forward. This fits both a memory that 'hängt' (gets stuck) and a person who is listlessly 'durchhängt' (slumps).
Ich glaube, die Software hat sich aufgehängt.
I think the software has frozen.
All meanings of 'Hänger' are colloquial. In formal or written contexts, you would usually use more precise expressions.
Sorry, ich hatte gerade einen kleinen Hänger.
Sorry, I just had a little lapse.
For a memory lapse and a motivational slump, the fixed expression 'einen Hänger haben' (to have a lapse/slump) is almost always used. The verb 'haben' (to have) is the key partner here.
Ich lerne den Text auswendig, damit ich in der Prüfung keinen Hänger habe.
I'm memorizing the text so that I don't have a lapse in the exam.
You can recognize the meaning 'Anhänger' (trailer) from the context. If it is about cars, transport, or pulling loads, the vehicle is meant.
Kannst du mir deinen Hänger leihen? Ich muss zum Baumarkt.
Can you lend me your trailer? I need to go to the hardware store.
supporter / trailer / pendant
Both words refer to a vehicle without its own engine that is pulled by another vehicle. „Anhänger“ is the standard term, while „Hänger“ is a shortened colloquial form. „Anhänger“ is appropriate in official or factual texts; „Hänger“ is also common in casual conversation.
Wir bringen den Hänger morgen mit dem Lastwagen zur Baustelle.
We’re taking the trailer to the construction site by truck tomorrow.
Der Anhänger wird morgen mit einem Lastwagen zur Baustelle gebracht.
The trailer will be taken to the construction site by truck tomorrow.
