sǐjī: 死机 - (Computer) to Crash, to Freeze

• Keywords: siji, si ji, 死机, Chinese computer crash, my computer froze in Chinese, how to say computer froze in Chinese, si ji meaning, diannao siji, Chinese tech terms, crash, freeze
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese term 死机 (sǐjī), the common word for when a computer, phone, or any electronic device “crashes” or “freezes.” This guide explains its literal meaning of “dead machine,” provides practical example sentences for when your device becomes unresponsive, and explores its universal use in modern digital life in China. Understanding 死机 is crucial for anyone navigating technology in a Chinese-speaking environment.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): sǐ jī
• Part of Speech: Verb-Object phrase (often functions as a single verb)
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: For an electronic device to freeze, crash, or become unresponsive.
• In a Nutshell: 死机 (sǐjī) is the go-to term you'll hear and use when any piece of modern electronics stops working. It vividly and literally translates to “machine dies.” While it sounds dramatic, it almost always refers to a temporary problem, like a frozen screen or an unresponsive app, that can be solved by a simple restart. It perfectly captures the frustrating feeling of a device suddenly becoming a lifeless brick.

• 死 (sǐ): This character means “to die,” “dead,” “rigid,” or “inflexible.” It depicts a person (人) next to a decaying bone (歹), graphically representing death.
• 机 (jī): This character is a shorthand for 机器 (jīqì), meaning “machine” or “device.” It's composed of the radical 木 (mù), meaning “wood,” harkening back to when machines were made of wood, and the phonetic component 几 (jī).

When combined, 死机 (sǐjī) literally means “machine dies.” This straightforward and descriptive term was quickly adopted to describe the new phenomenon of computers crashing, making it an incredibly intuitive and easy-to-remember word for a modern problem.

The term 死机 (sǐjī) is a perfect example of how the Chinese language pragmatically adapts to new technology. Instead of inventing a complex, abstract term, the language created a simple, visceral, and highly descriptive compound word that anyone can immediately understand. While in English we use more technical-sounding words like “crash” or “freeze,” the Chinese term personifies the machine, giving it the ability to “die.” This reflects a common linguistic pattern of applying human or natural concepts to inanimate objects. The Western equivalent might be the informal and dramatic phrase “it died on me” or the specific technical jargon “Blue Screen of Death.” However, 死机 is the standard, everyday term used by everyone from tech experts to grandmothers. It highlights a universal modern frustration through a distinctly direct and pictorial linguistic lens.

死机 (sǐjī) is an extremely common, informal term used in daily conversation. You can use it for almost any smart device that becomes unresponsive.

• Devices: It applies to computers (电脑 diànnǎo), mobile phones (手机 shǒujī), tablets (平板 píngbǎn), and even smart TVs or game consoles.
• Formality: It's informal but universally understood and acceptable in most situations, including talking to friends, family, or even an IT support person. In a highly formal technical report, a more precise term like 系统崩溃 (xìtǒng bēngkuì) might be used, but in speech, 死机 is king.
• Grammar: It acts as a verb. The most common pattern is “Device + 死机 + 了 (le),” indicating the event has happened. For example, 我的电脑死机了 (Wǒ de diànnǎo sǐjī le).

• Example 1:
  • 糟糕，我的电脑又死机了！
  • Pinyin: Zāogāo, wǒ de diànnǎo yòu sǐjī le!
  • English: Oh no, my computer crashed again!
  • Analysis: A very common exclamation of frustration. 糟糕 (zāogāo) means “darn it” or “oh no,” and 又 (yòu) means “again,” showing this is a recurring problem.
• Example 2:
  • 如果你的手机死机了，就试试重启一下。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ de shǒujī sǐjī le, jiù shìshi chóngqǐ yīxià.
  • English: If your phone freezes, just try restarting it.
  • Analysis: This sentence provides a solution. 重启 (chóngqǐ) means “to restart” and is the most common fix for a 死机.
• Example 3:
  • 这个软件好像不太稳定，总是让我死机。
  • Pinyin: Zhège ruǎnjiàn hǎoxiàng bù tài wěndìng, zǒngshì ràng wǒ sǐjī.
  • English: This software doesn't seem very stable; it always makes me crash.
  • Analysis: Here, the pattern is “让 + someone/something + 死机,” meaning “to make/cause [a device] to crash.” Note that “我” (wǒ) here is a colloquial stand-in for “我的电脑” (wǒ de diànnǎo).
• Example 4:
  • 你在做什么？电脑怎么死机了？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zài zuò shénme? Diànnǎo zěnme sǐjī le?
  • English: What were you doing? How did the computer freeze?
  • Analysis: A common question when you discover a frozen computer. 怎么 (zěnme) here means “how” or “why.”
• Example 5:
  • 为了防止死机，我习惯每十分钟保存一次文件。
  • Pinyin: Wèile fángzhǐ sǐjī, wǒ xíguàn měi shí fēnzhōng bǎocún yīcì wénjiàn.
  • English: To prevent crashes, I'm used to saving my files every ten minutes.
  • Analysis: This shows how to use 死机 as a noun-like concept, the “event of crashing.” 防止 (fángzhǐ) means “to prevent.”
• Example 6:
  • 我新买的平板电脑昨天死机了三次！
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xīn mǎi de píngbǎn diànnǎo zuótiān sǐjī le sāncì!
  • English: The new tablet I bought crashed three times yesterday!
  • Analysis: Demonstrates how to quantify the number of crashes using number + 次 (cì).
• Example 7:
  • 别开太多程序，不然电脑容易死机。
  • Pinyin: Bié kāi tài duō chéngxù, bùrán diànnǎo róngyì sǐjī.
  • English: Don't open too many programs, otherwise the computer will crash easily.
  • Analysis: This sentence gives a common piece of advice. 容易 (róngyì) means “easy to” or “prone to.”
• Example 8:
  • 游戏玩到一半突然死机，气死我了！
  • Pinyin: Yóuxì wán dào yībàn tūrán sǐjī, qì sǐ wǒ le!
  • English: The game suddenly froze halfway through, I'm so mad!
  • Analysis: This sentence connects the crash to a specific activity (playing a game) and expresses the resulting emotion. 气死我了 (qì sǐ wǒ le) is a common idiom meaning “to be furious.”
• Example 9:
  • 我觉得不是死机，可能是屏幕坏了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ juédé bùshì sǐjī, kěnéng shì píngmù huài le.
  • English: I don't think it's a freeze; the screen might be broken.
  • Analysis: This shows how to distinguish a temporary freeze (死机) from a hardware problem (坏了 - huài le, broken).
• Example 10:
  • 服务器负载太高时，有死机的风险。
  • Pinyin: Fúwùqì fùzài tài gāo shí, yǒu sǐjī de fēngxiǎn.
  • English: When the server load is too high, there is a risk of crashing.
  • Analysis: This is a more technical example, showing that 死机 can be used in semi-formal contexts like discussing server performance.

• Mistake 1: Using it for non-electronic devices.
  • You cannot say your car or your washing machine 死机了. That term is reserved for computers and other digital electronics. For mechanical things, you should use 坏了 (huài le - it's broken).
  • Incorrect: 我的车死机了。(Wǒ de chē sǐjī le.)
  • Correct: 我的车坏了。(Wǒ de chē huài le.)
• Mistake 2: Confusing it with 关机 (guānjī).
  • 死机 (sǐjī) is an unintentional, problematic crash. The device is on but unresponsive.
  • 关机 (guānjī) is the intentional act of turning a device off or shutting it down.
  • If you see a blank screen, asking “是死机还是关机了?” (Shì sǐjī háishì guānjī le? - “Did it crash or is it turned off?”) is a valid question.
• Nuance: Temporary vs. Permanent.
  • 死机 (sǐjī) almost always implies a temporary problem that can be fixed with a reboot. It's not a “false friend” for the English term “bricked,” which means the device is permanently and irreversibly broken. For a truly broken device, you would again use 坏了 (huài le).

• 重启 (chóngqǐ) - To restart, to reboot. The most common solution for a 死机.
• 关机 (guānjī) - To turn off, to shut down. The opposite action of turning a machine on.
• 开机 (kāijī) - To turn on, to boot up. The action of starting a machine.
• 卡 (kǎ) - To lag, to be stuck, to stutter. This describes a slow, unresponsive state that is often a precursor to a full 死机. “我的电脑很卡” (Wǒ de diànnǎo hěn kǎ) means “My computer is very laggy.”
• 闪退 (shǎntuì) - (For an app) to crash and close instantly. A specific type of software failure that's less severe than a full system 死机.
• 蓝屏 (lánpíng) - Blue screen. Refers directly to the “Blue Screen of Death” on Windows computers, a famous and severe type of 死机.
• 坏了 (huài le) - Broken. A more general term for any object that is not functioning, electronic or mechanical. It can imply a more permanent problem than 死机.
• 系统崩溃 (xìtǒng bēngkuì) - System collapse/crash. A more formal, technical term for a major system-wide failure. You would see this in a technical report, but rarely hear it in casual conversation.