stocken
to falter
To briefly pause or hesitate while speaking, often out of uncertainty, nervousness, or shock.
EXAMPLE
Als sie die schlechte Nachricht überbrachte, stockte ihre Stimme.
When she delivered the bad news, her voice faltered.
stocken
to falter / stall
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Meanings
stocken
to stall
A process, movement, or flow slows down or comes to a standstill.
EXAMPLE
Wegen des Unfalls stockt der Verkehr auf der Autobahn.
Because of the accident, traffic on the highway is stalling.
stocken
to congeal
In reference to blood: to clot or become solid. Often used in the idiom 'das Blut in den Adern stocken lassen' (to make someone's blood run cold).
EXAMPLE
Der Anblick der Spinne ließ ihm das Blut in den Adern stocken.
The sight of the spider made his blood run cold.
stocken
to become musty
To become musty or moldy because of moisture.
EXAMPLE
Die feuchte Wäsche im Keller hat angefangen zu stocken.
The damp laundry in the basement has started to become musty.
Usage tips
Sentence structure
'Stocken' (to falter/stall) is an intransitive verb that does not take an accusative object. The subject of the sentence is always the person, thing, or process that starts to falter or stall.
EXAMPLE
Mitten im Satz stockte der Redner.
In the middle of the sentence, the speaker faltered.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from the subject: If a person, voice, or speech 'stockt' (falters), it means 'zögern' (to hesitate). If traffic, the economy, or negotiations 'stocken' (stall), it means 'zum Stillstand kommen' (to come to a standstill).
EXAMPLE
Ihre Stimme stockte, als sie von dem Ereignis erzählte.
Her voice faltered as she talked about the event.
Typical subjects
In the meaning 'langsamer werden' (to slow down), 'stocken' (to stall) is often used with processes or movements. Typical subjects are 'der Verkehr' (traffic), 'die Verhandlungen' (negotiations), 'der Handel' (trade), or also 'der Atem' (breath).
EXAMPLE
Wegen des starken Schneefalls stockte der Verkehr auf allen Hauptstraßen.
Because of the heavy snowfall, traffic stalled on all main roads.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'jemandem das Blut in den Adern stocken lassen' (to make someone's blood run cold) is very common. The person who is frightened is in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Der unheimliche Schrei ließ mir das Blut in den Adern stocken.
The eerie scream made my blood run cold.
Compare with
stocken vs Stillstand
standstill
With Stillstand, movement or activity has come to a complete stop. Stocken typically describes a process slowing down or being interrupted only temporarily, although it can also come to a standstill. For a brief disruption, stocken is therefore often the better choice.
stocken
Wegen eines kurzen Materialmangels stockte die Produktion vorübergehend.
Production stalled temporarily because of a brief shortage of materials.
Stillstand
Nach dem Stromausfall kam die Produktion vollständig zum Stillstand.
After the power outage, production came to a complete standstill.
In real life
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