发愣 (fā lèng): ぼんやり見つめる

The teacher suddenly called my name. I didn't react right away and sat there staring blankly until my deskmate gave me a gentle nudge.

Upon hearing the bad news, she stood by the window holding the phone and stared blankly. She didn't speak for a long time and didn't even notice the heavy rain outside.

He walked into that familiar old bookstore and saw the empty chair in the corner. He suddenly stared blankly, remembering the afternoons he spent reading with his grandfather as a child.

The interviewer asked a very difficult question. He didn't know how to answer right away, so he stared blankly for a few seconds before slowly expressing his thoughts.