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.
to paralyze
In a figurative sense: to bring an activity, process, or system to a standstill or severely hinder it.
Der Generalstreik hat die gesamte Wirtschaft des Landes gelähmt.
The general strike paralyzed the country's entire economy.
to paralyze
To make someone unable to act because of a strong feeling such as fear, shock, or surprise.
Die plötzliche Nachricht lähmte sie für einen Moment.
The sudden news paralyzed her for a moment.
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 block
Both verbs can indicate that a disruption seriously holds up a process. „Blockieren“ usually focuses on a specific obstacle or blockage, whereas „lähmen“ emphasizes the loss of functionality of a larger whole. Use „blockieren“ for an individual process and „lähmen“ for a far-reaching standstill.
Ein Stromausfall lähmt den gesamten Betrieb.
A power outage is paralyzing the entire operation.
Ein Fehler blockiert die Ausgabe der Druckaufträge.
An error is blocking the output of the print jobs.
