stehenbleiben
to stop
To stop moving and remain in one place. This can refer to people, vehicles, or other moving objects.
EXAMPLE
Er blieb plötzlich auf der Straße stehen und schaute zurück.
He suddenly stopped in the street and looked back.
stehenbleiben
to stop / stall
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Meanings
stehenbleiben
to stop working
To stop functioning or running, especially with clocks, engines, or other machines.
EXAMPLE
Meine Uhr ist gestern um Punkt drei Uhr stehengeblieben.
My watch stopped yesterday at exactly three o'clock.
stehenbleiben
to stand still
To stop developing; to remain in a certain state and make no progress.
EXAMPLE
Man darf im Leben nicht stehenbleiben, sondern muss immer weiterlernen.
You must not stand still in life, but always keep learning.
stehenbleiben
to be left over
To be left over; not to be eaten, drunk, or taken away.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Party ist noch eine ganze Pizza stehengeblieben.
After the party, a whole pizza was still left over.
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Stehenbleiben' (to stop / stall) is a separable verb. The prefix 'stehen' separates from the main verb 'bleiben' in main clauses and goes to the end of the sentence. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Warum bleibst du mitten auf dem Weg stehen?
Why are you stopping in the middle of the path?
Word structure
The word is a combination of the verbs 'stehen' (to stand) and 'bleiben' (to stay / remain). It literally describes an action in which movement ends and you remain standing in one place.
EXAMPLE
Die Wanderer blieben auf dem Gipfel stehen, um die Aussicht zu genießen.
The hikers stopped on the summit to enjoy the view.
Auxiliary verb 'sein'
The perfect tense of 'stehenbleiben' (to stop / stall) is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be). This is because it describes a change of state, from movement to standstill.
EXAMPLE
Der Bus ist an der Haltestelle nicht stehengeblieben.
The bus did not stop at the bus stop.
Context clue
You can recognize the exact meaning of 'stehenbleiben' (to stop / stall) from the subject of the sentence. People and vehicles 'bleiben stehen' (stop moving), clocks and engines 'bleiben stehen' (stop working), and food 'bleibt stehen' (is left over / not eaten).
EXAMPLE
Der Läufer ist nach 10 Kilometern stehengeblieben.
The runner stopped after 10 kilometers.
Figurative meaning
In a figurative sense, 'stehenbleiben' (to stand still) means that you do not develop further personally or professionally. This meaning is often found in discussions about education, careers, or personal growth.
EXAMPLE
Wer in diesem Beruf nicht stehenbleiben will, muss sich ständig fortbilden.
Anyone who does not want to stand still in this profession has to keep doing further training.
Compare with
stehenbleiben vs stoppen
to stop
When referring to movement, stoppen often means actively bringing a person or thing to a halt. Stehenbleiben describes the person or thing no longer moving and remaining in one place. Therefore, stoppen fits the action, while stehenbleiben describes the resulting standstill.
stehenbleiben
Der Bus bleibt direkt vor dem Eingang stehen.
The bus stops right in front of the entrance.
stoppen
Die Fahrerin stoppt den Bus direkt vor dem Eingang.
The driver stops the bus right in front of the entrance.
In real life
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