Bedeutung
To be so scared you cannot move.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In some rural parts of Turkey, if someone 'freezes with fear' (donup kalmak) after a shock, people might perform a ritual called 'kurşun dökme' (pouring lead) to remove the 'evil eye' or the lingering effects of the fright. Classic Turkish movies often use dramatic zooms on a character's face when they 'donup kalmak' to emphasize the emotional peak of a scene, usually when a secret is revealed. With the high frequency of earthquakes in Turkey, 'donup kalmak' is a common term used in public safety training to describe the 'wrong' reaction, encouraging people to 'çök-kapan-tutun' (drop-cover-hold on) instead. On Turkish Twitter or TikTok, users often use the phrase to describe their reaction to shocking political news or celebrity scandals, often accompanied by a GIF of a frozen character.
Use with 'Adeta'
Pair this with 'adeta' (as if/literally) to sound more like a native speaker: 'Adeta korkudan donup kaldım.'
Suffix Check
Make sure you use '-dan' on 'korku'. Using '-la' (with) is a common mistake for foreigners.
Bedeutung
To be so scared you cannot move.
Use with 'Adeta'
Pair this with 'adeta' (as if/literally) to sound more like a native speaker: 'Adeta korkudan donup kaldım.'
Suffix Check
Make sure you use '-dan' on 'korku'. Using '-la' (with) is a common mistake for foreigners.
Body Language
When saying this, Turks often widen their eyes and hold their breath to mimic the state of being frozen.
Alternative Causes
You can replace 'korkudan' with 'şaşkınlıktan' (from surprise) or 'heyecandan' (from excitement) using the same pattern.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing suffixes for the phrase 'korku... don... kalmak'.
Aniden gelen sesle korku____ don____ kaldım.
The ablative '-dan' shows cause, and the gerund '-up' links the verbs.
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly in a figurative sense?
Aşağıdakilerden hangisi doğrudur?
The phrase requires a context of sudden fear or shock.
Complete the dialogue with the most natural response.
A: Deprem anında neden dışarı çıkmadın? B: ________________________________.
The past tense 'donup kaldım' explains the past inability to move.
Match the emotion with the reaction.
Eşleştirme yapın: 1. Çok korkmak, 2. Çok şaşırmak, 3. Çok üşümek
Each emotion has a specific physical metaphor in Turkish.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Donmak vs. Donup Kalmak
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenAniden gelen sesle korku____ don____ kaldım.
The ablative '-dan' shows cause, and the gerund '-up' links the verbs.
Aşağıdakilerden hangisi doğrudur?
The phrase requires a context of sudden fear or shock.
A: Deprem anında neden dışarı çıkmadın? B: ________________________________.
The past tense 'donup kaldım' explains the past inability to move.
Eşleştirme yapın: 1. Çok korkmak, 2. Çok şaşırmak, 3. Çok üşümek
Each emotion has a specific physical metaphor in Turkish.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenTechnically yes, but 'şaşkınlıktan donup kalmak' is much more common for positive things. 'Korkudan' is strictly negative.
It is written as two separate words without a hyphen.
It's a bit dramatic for business emails unless you are describing a serious incident or a major market shock.
'Şok olmak' is more general. 'Donup kalmak' specifically emphasizes the physical lack of movement.
Yes, very common for animals, like a rabbit in headlights.
It's understood, but 'korkudan' is the standard idiomatic way.
Usually, it refers to a past moment, but 'donup kalıyorum' can describe a recurring reaction.
Yes, 'kitlenmek' (to be locked) is the modern slang equivalent.
No, for beauty use 'büyülenmek' or 'hayran kalmak'.
Yes, very. 'Görenler korkudan donup kaldı' is a classic clickbait headline in Turkey.
Verwandte Redewendungen
donakalmak
synonymTo be suddenly frozen/stunned.
nutku tutulmak
similarTo be speechless.
kanın donması
builds onTo have one's blood run cold.
kaskatı kesilmek
similarTo turn stiff as a board.
şaşkına dönmek
contrastTo be bewildered.
