粘住 (zhān zhù) is a verb meaning 'to stick fast' or 'to become stuck', describing a physical state where two surfaces adhere strongly and resist separation. The first character 粘 (zhān) means 'to stick' or 'to adhere', while the second character 住 (zhù) functions as a resultative complement, indicating completion or a fixed, stable state — together, they convey that sticking has occurred *and* the object is now firmly held in place.

This compound is commonly used in everyday situations involving glue, tape, wet surfaces, food residues, or even metaphorical entanglement (e.g., clothes sticking to skin in humidity). It emphasizes the resulting immobility or difficulty of detachment, not just the act of sticking. Unlike the simpler verb 粘 (zhān), which may describe the process, 粘住 stresses the completed, often unintended or problematic, outcome — for example, a label that won’t peel off or shoes stuck in mud.