Chinese word

中断

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhōng duàn

Meaning

  • verbinterrupt

Example

会议被中断了，我们稍后继续。huì yì bèi zhōng duàn le wǒ men shāo hòu jì xù

The meeting was interrupted, and we will continue later.

Illustration for 中断 (interrupt)

More examples

由于网络故障，他的在线课程被中断，不得不改期。yóu yú wǎng luò gù zhàng tā de zài xiàn kè chéng bèi zhōng duàn bù dé bù gǎi qī

Due to a network failure, his online class was interrupted, and he had to reschedule it.

Core concept

An ongoing course of events is broken before it can continue normally.

Common phrases

  • 中断学习zhōng duàn xué xí

    interrupt studying

  • 中断通话zhōng duàn tōng huà

    interrupt a call

  • 中断项目zhōng duàn xiàng mù

    interrupt a project

Similar words

暂停zàn tíng: Pauses an activity or action for a while, with the possibility of starting it again later.
停止tíng zhǐ: Stops a machine or movement so that it no longer continues.
中止zhōng zhǐ: Ends a planned action or project partway through, usually without starting it again.
打断dǎ duàn: Cuts off someone's speech or action by interrupting it.

Definition in Chinese

使某个动作、活动或过程在进行中停止，既可指人为的中止，也可指客观原因导致的暂停。shǐ mǒu gè dòng zuò huó dòng huò guò chéng zài jìn xíng zhōng tíng zhǐ jì kě zhǐ rén wéi de zhōng zhǐ yě kě zhǐ kè guān yuán yīn dǎo zhì de zàn tíng

Word origin

中 (zhōng, "middle") + 断 (duàn, "break") combines the middle with breaking, giving the image of a process cut off while it is still underway.

Usage tips

  • Chinese passive sentences with this verb can leave the interrupter unstated, which suits news reports and service notices.

Other meanings

  • be cut offverb
  • interruptionnoun
  • stopverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word