Chinese word

断

Pronunciation

Pinyinduàn

Meaning

  • verbcut off

Example

电话突然断了。diàn huà tū rán duàn le

The call suddenly got cut off.

Illustration for 断 (cut off)

More examples

家里的网络突然断了。jiā lǐ de wǎng luò tū rán duàn le

The internet at home suddenly cut out.

Core concept

Something moving along a continuous path meets a break, leaving the next part disconnected or unable to proceed.

Common phrases

  • 网络断了wǎng luò duàn le

    Network cut out

  • 断了联系duàn le lián xì

    lose contact

Similar words

中断zhōng duàn: An activity or process stops partway through before it can continue.
挂断guà duàn: Deliberately ending a phone call or active connection.
断开duàn kāi: Cutting off a connection between things that were linked.

Definition in Chinese

表示连接或连续性被切断或终止，强调在进行中出现间断，既可用于描述通信、电力等的停止，也可用于关系或进程的中断。biǎo shì lián jiē huò lián xù xìng bèi qiē duàn huò zhōng zhǐ qiáng diào zài jìn xíng zhōng chū xiàn jiàn duàn jì kě yòng yú miáo shù tōng xìn diàn lì děng de tíng zhǐ yě kě yòng yú guān xì huò jìn chéng de zhōng duàn

Word origin

断 (duàn, "cut off") preserves an old association with cutting something apart, a physical image that extends naturally to communication, relationships, and activities stopping partway through.

Usage tips

  • In everyday reports, this verb often leaves the cause unstated, so it can describe a call ending without saying whether a person, a device, or the network caused the problem.

Other meanings

  • breakverb
  • interruptverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word