Chinese word

不断

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù duàn

Meaning

  • adverbconstantly

Example

我不断学习新东西。wǒ bú duàn xué xí xīn dōng xī

I am constantly learning new things.

Illustration for 不断 (constantly)

More examples

他不断努力，终于成功了。tā bú duàn nǔ lì zhōng yú chéng gōng le

He constantly worked hard and finally succeeded.

Core concept

A single unbroken flow in which an action or event keeps going instead of being cut off.

Common phrases

  • 不断努力bú duàn nǔ lì

    constantly strive

  • 不断改进bú duàn gǎi jìn

    continually improve

  • 不断增加bú duàn zēng jiā

    constantly increase

Similar words

一直yì zhí: Remains ongoing from start to finish along one unchanged course.
不停bù tíng: Describes an action or change that carries on without a break.

Definition in Chinese

表示事情或动作一直持续、不间断地发生。biǎo shì shì qíng huò dòng zuò yì zhí chí xù bú jiàn duàn dì fā shēng

Word origin

不 (bù, "not") + 断 (duàn, "break off") literally frames an action as not cut off, which gives 不断 (bùduàn, "not cut off") its adverbial sense of ongoing continuation.

Usage tips

  • It suits progress updates and descriptions of changing conditions, where the focus is on an activity's sustained course rather than on one isolated occurrence.

Other meanings

  • continuouslyadverb
  • without stoppingadverb

Opposites

  • 时断时续shí duàn shí xùintermittentlyadverb

Word lists with this word