to paralyze
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to paralyze
To take away the ability of a body part or the whole body to move, so that it can no longer be moved. This often happens because of an injury or illness.
Ein schwerer Unfall hat seine Beine gelähmt.
A serious accident paralyzed his legs.
The verb 'lähmen' (to paralyze) is derived directly from the adjective 'lahm' (lame). 'Lahm' means that one cannot move a body part properly. 'Lähmen' therefore means to make someone or something 'lahm'—unable to move or function properly.
Seit dem Sturz ist sein linkes Bein lahm.
Since the fall, his left leg has been lame.
'Lähmen' (to paralyze) is a transitive verb and always needs an accusative object. You ask: Whom or what does something paralyze? The answer is in the accusative.
Der Stromausfall lähmte die ganze Stadt.
The power outage paralyzed the whole city.
The past participle 'gelähmt' (paralyzed) is very frequently used as an adjective to describe a state. It can stand before a noun or be used with the verb 'sein' (to be).
Er pflegt seinen gelähmten Vater.
He takes care of his paralyzed father.
In the figurative meaning, you can recognize 'lähmen' (to paralyze) by the fact that the object is a system, a process, or an activity. It is not about a body.
Ein Schneesturm hat den gesamten Verkehr gelähmt.
A snowstorm paralyzed all traffic.
When 'lähmen' (to paralyze) describes an emotional blockage, it is often triggered by feelings such as 'Angst' (fear), 'Schock' (shock), or 'Schrecken' (fright). A typical phrase is 'vor Schreck/Angst gelähmt sein' (to be paralyzed with fright/fear).
Als er die Schlange sah, war er vor Angst gelähmt.
When he saw the snake, he was paralyzed with fear.
to stop
'stoppen' and 'lähmen' can both mean that something does not continue. 'stoppen' is more neutral and means that someone ends or halts a movement, an action, or a process. 'lähmen' sounds stronger. It often describes that a system, work, or a person can hardly act at all anymore. This can happen because of a problem, a shock, or a major disruption. When someone deliberately ends something, 'stoppen' usually fits. When something is strongly blocked and hardly functions anymore, 'lähmen' fits better.
Der Stromausfall lähmte den ganzen Betrieb für mehrere Stunden.
The power outage paralyzed the entire business for several hours.
Die Polizei stoppte den Verkehr nach dem Unfall.
The police stopped traffic after the accident.