<p>卡壳 means "getting a stuck cassette" <em>literally</em>. <em>cassette</em> most probably refer to the one holding bullets in a shotgun. But it's also commonly used to say someone getting stuck in the middle of a speech.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-18T18:43:12.890Z
FYI, we would say "cartridge" rather than "cassette".
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-18T14:38:08.707Z
2013-12-18T14:38:08.707Z
phoeagon
<p>I think this word 卡壳了 can also be used in a situation like the following. (not only referring to speech):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>However, for performing the piece, memorizing it HS (=Hand-Separated)
  will be useful for recovering from <strong>blackouts</strong>,</p>
</blockquote>

<p>（“<strong>卡壳了</strong>”, or its noun form 卡壳 is a pretty good translation of "blackouts" here）</p>

<p>(From Fundamentals of Piano Practice PDF Page 107, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;ved=0CC4QFjAA&amp;url=http://www.pianopractice.org/book.pdf&amp;ei=durAUprKIor-2gX51oCQAw&amp;usg=AFQjCNE6pWOGnB85hqIYsEc-WiXzOIH5Rw&amp;sig2=R3uVb8OtS_U_7gfSP8ff3Q&amp;bvm=bv.58187178,d.b2I" rel="nofollow">link</a>)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-30T03:37:18.720Z
2013-12-30T03:43:08.643Z
2013-12-30T03:43:08.643Z
nitroglycerine
<p>it means the round is stuck in the barrel
or sometimes it means your thought is stuck and can't come up with a solution</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-30T06:42:32.440Z
2013-12-30T06:42:32.440Z
sotondolphin
<p>It's a kind of analogy. Originally, 卡壳 (qiǎ ké) meant "a cartridge got jammed inside the gun."</p>

<p>When people are talking very fast and fluently, they are like a gun continuing shooting without any interruption. Words are "shot" (spoken) fast and continuously. There is also an expression "说话像机关枪一样," the literal meaning of which is that someone "speaks like firing a machine gun."</p>

<p>So when someone gets stuck while speaking, we say that he or she "卡壳".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-18T15:09:44.637Z
2013-12-19T23:35:22.630Z
2013-12-19T23:35:22.630Z
intelliarm
<p>Here's the <a href="http://cn.tmagazine.com/living/20131218/t18japan/dual/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">context</a>. I am guessing it means &quot;stumble&quot;.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>其他选手则要么在微妙的措辞上卡了壳</p>
<p>Other contestants stumble on delicate phrasing.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But according to <a href="http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/544189879.html?qbl=relate_question_0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a> it means &quot;quiet/silenced&quot;?</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Q: 步枪卡了壳是什么意思？</p>
<p>A: 步枪卡了壳 - 不响 咯咯</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-18T14:37:56.610Z
It means a cartridge got jammed inside the rifle, unable to fire off. Metaphorically, it is used by the author to describe words getting stuck in the mouth.
杨以轩
<translation><meaning-in-context>
What does 卡了壳 mean?
# What does 卡了壳 mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-12-18)

Here's the [context](http://cn.tmagazine.com/living/20131218/t18japan/dual/). I am guessing it means "stumble".

> 其他选手则要么在微妙的措辞上卡了壳
>
> Other contestants stumble on delicate phrasing.

But according to [this](http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/544189879.html?qbl=relate_question_0) it means "quiet/silenced"?

> Q: 步枪卡了壳是什么意思？
>
> A: 步枪卡了壳 - 不响 咯咯

**Tags:** translation, meaning-in-context

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It means a cartridge got jammed inside the rifle, unable to fire off. Metaphorically, it is used by the author to describe words getting stuck in the mouth.  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2013-12-18. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

It's a kind of analogy. Originally, 卡壳 (qiǎ ké) meant "a cartridge got jammed inside the gun."

When people are talking very fast and fluently, they are like a gun continuing shooting without any interruption. Words are "shot" (spoken) fast and continuously. There is also an expression "说话像机关枪一样," the literal meaning of which is that someone "speaks like firing a machine gun."

So when someone gets stuck while speaking, we say that he or she "卡壳".


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### Answer by username_2 on 2013-12-18. Score: 2

卡壳 means "getting a stuck cassette" *literally*. *cassette* most probably refer to the one holding bullets in a shotgun. But it's also commonly used to say someone getting stuck in the middle of a speech.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: FYI, we would say "cartridge" rather than "cassette".  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2013-12-30. Score: 0

I think this word 卡壳了 can also be used in a situation like the following. (not only referring to speech):

> However, for performing the piece, memorizing it HS (=Hand-Separated)
> will be useful for recovering from **blackouts**,

（“**卡壳了**”, or its noun form 卡壳 is a pretty good translation of "blackouts" here）

(From Fundamentals of Piano Practice PDF Page 107, [link](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CC4QFjAA&url=http://www.pianopractice.org/book.pdf&ei=durAUprKIor-2gX51oCQAw&usg=AFQjCNE6pWOGnB85hqIYsEc-WiXzOIH5Rw&sig2=R3uVb8OtS_U_7gfSP8ff3Q&bvm=bv.58187178,d.b2I))


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### Answer by username_5 on 2013-12-30. Score: 0

it means the round is stuck in the barrel
or sometimes it means your thought is stuck and can't come up with a solution


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