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打断 (dǎ duàn) — to interrupt (someone speaking); to break (a bone); to break off, to disrupt (an activity, thought, etc.)

Definition

打断 focuses on interrupting or breaking off an ongoing action (speaking, thoughts, activities) — not physical breaking like 打破. Compared to 中断/中止 it's more colloquial and marks a sudden, often disruptive break.

verb
to interrupt (someone speaking)to break (a bone)to break offto disrupt (an activity, thought, etc.)

Examples

  • 打断。
    Qǐng bú yào dǎ duàn tā shuō huà.
    Please don't interrupt him while he's speaking.
  • ，打断。
    Tā cóng lóu tī shàng shuāi xià lái, dǎ duàn le gē bo.
    He fell down the stairs and broke his arm.
  • 打断。
    Wǒ de sī lù bèi tā de wèn tí dǎ duàn le.
    My train of thought was interrupted by his question.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

打dǎhit or do
断duànbreak or sever

The action part means hit or do, and the result part means break or sever; together they mean to interrupt or break off.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng打dǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

打 uses 扌, a hand, to show an action done with the hand, and 丁 to give the sound.

Open 打 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 斷; 断 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 斷 uses 𢇍 (to cut) and 斤 (axe) together.

Open 断 →
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