# All Slavic: Freeze (Don't move)



## bardistador

This is a commonly used word in film, usually by police officers aiming their weapons at criminals and asking them to not move.  Is such a construction ever used in Slavic languages?  What is the closest equivalent word or phrase used when this is translated from American films and series?

The line is thus:  "_NYPD. Freeze!  I said nobody move._"

That's for "freeze" meaning don't move.

In a similar vein, is "freeze" ever used for indecision paralysis or inaction due to stress/pressure/doubt?  Someone choking under pressure and unable to make a decision, good or bad?

"_I don't know what happened out there... I just froze._"

Froze, although negative, is a more positive version of "choked" when it comes to indecision paralysis.  Froze, unlike choked, means that the agent of the action was unable to speak or act, did not do anything or say anything, and nothing more.    Choked can have the agent fumbling something, stuttering or messing up.  

Is freeze ever translated as "freeze" or is a different verb used?
The source I have to translate has a word play on freeze:

"_I don't know what happened out there... I just froze._"
_"Oh yeah?  Well next time wear a jacket!"_

Thanks in advance.


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## Panceltic

Slovene:

Stoj(te)! - Stop! Don't move!
Roke gor! - Arms up!

Zmrznil(a) sem. - I froze (e.g. the teacher asked me sth and I didn't know what to say)


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## LoraLanguage

In Bulgarian we have exactly the same phrase! We use "freeze" in the meaning of "don't move"!

Freeze = замръзни/замръзнете 
Don't move = не мърдай/ не мърдайте

We can use this verb when we talk about indecision paralysis or inaction due to stress/pressure/doubt, too.

_I don't know what happened out there... I just froze. = Не знам какво стана там... аз просто замръзнах. 

_


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## marco_2

In Polish we just say: _Don't move! - _*Nie ruszaj się!  *When a bank robber or a policeman wants to frighten more people, he uses infinitive: *Nie ruszać się!*
When someone is paralysed due to their amazement, we say: *On osłupiał. *(= He turned into a pole / post, it's like Russian _Он остолбенел / офонарел_). There is also a literary expression *On zamienił się w słup soli *(= He turned into a pillar of salt - like a biblical Lot's wife, who was punished by God for her disobedience).


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## Ivrit

In Croatian language the sentence_: Freeze! I said nobody move._ would be translated as: _Stoj!  Da se nitko nije pomaknuo.*_
There are possible few more translations but this is the closest to the given sentence, also the word 'freeze' is translated to Croatian as 'smrznuti/zalediti' and the translation for _I don't know what happened out there... I just *froze*. _ would be: _Ne znam što se dogodilo tamo... *Zaledio** *sam se._
Word 'smrznuti' or 'smrznuto' is used for e.g 'frozen vegetables' - smrznuto povrće, but you can use it to say you were feeling cold outside '*Smrznuo*** sam se', but saying that you froze as in context of numbness or similar goes with the word 'zaledio'. 

*Second possible translation: Stoj! Ni makac. (Makac = move/movement, not used for context of 'going' etc.)
*** first person masculine *


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## Maroseika

*Russian*:
Freeze (Don't move)!- Замри! (Замрите!).

This word is not used in case of inability to make a decision. We can use the word зависнуть, same as when a computer hangs (as if someone's brain hung).
Another option is окаменеть (to become like a stone).


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## Charlie222

As for Slovak, I think: *Polícia, Stoj(te)! Nikto ani hnúť* is the most used. Or these phrases could also be used: *Stoj/Stáť! Nikto nech sa ani nepohne* or *Stoj/stáť! Všetci zostante na svojom mieste*. Freeze - Zamrznúť in this sense is not used at all.

It is possible to use freeze - zamrznuť in the sense of being paralysed to answer or do something due to stress, pressure and so on: Nevedel som, čo mám povedať, úplne som *zamrzol - *I didnt know what to say, I just froze.


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## ilocas2

marco_2 said:


> *On zamienił się w słup soli *(= He turned into a pillar of salt



In Czech the set phrase goes Stál tam jak solný sloup (= He stood there like salt pillar), so no changing but standing.



Maroseika said:


> окаменеть (to become like a stone)



In Czech the verb is zkamenět, so different prefix is used.


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## marco_2

Ah, in Polish we also say: *On skamieniał *and *On zamarł. *


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## Sanduleak

*Stáť! *(to stop)
*Ani hnúť! *(do not move)

I would say that these are the usual translations of freeze. I think in this situation (as a command) we never use words with the meaning of _freeze. _
Just like Charlie222 said, we can use the word *zamrznúť *(to freeze) for indecision paralysis:

*Zamrzol / zamrzol na mieste *= he froze/ he froze on the spot
*Zostal ako prikovaný *= he remained like chained up


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## Karton Realista

In Polish it could be also "Stój!" or "Stać!", rarely "Zostań tam, gdzie jesteś!". For "You are arrested" - "Jesteś aresztowany". 
"Nobody move " - "Niech nikt się nie rusza!", "Wszyscy zostańcie na swoich miejscach". 
There is a hipster expression "popaść w stupor", but it's used only by weirdos like me xP


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