断断续续 (duàn duàn xù xù) — intermittent, on and off (for weather, signals, sounds, etc.); disjointed, stammering (for speech, writing, or performance)
Definition
Describes things that happen with gaps between them — rain, signal, speech, or music starting and stopping. Pairs with the adverbial 地: 断断续续地下.
adjective
intermittenton and off (for weather, signals, sounds, etc.)disjointedstammering (for speech, writing, or performance)
Examples
- 断断续续，。Diàn huà xìn hào duàn duàn xù xù de, wǒ tīng bù qīng chǔ.The phone signal is intermittent; I can't hear clearly.
- 断断续续。Yǔ duàn duàn xù xù dì xià le yí xià wǔ.The rain fell on and off all afternoon.
- 断断续续，。Tā shuō huà duàn duàn xù xù de, hǎo xiàng hěn jǐn zhāng.He spoke in a stammering way, as if very nervous.
Origin
Reduplicated word构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication
A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.
断 and 续 appear twice, showing something keeps breaking and continuing, hence intermittent.
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