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断路 (duàn lù) — to cut off or block (a road, path); to break off relations; to break an electric circuit

Definition

断路 literally means 'cut the road/path' but extends to breaking off a relationship or interrupting an electric circuit. It is a separable verb (离合词): insert 了 or other elements between 断 and 路, as in 断了路.

verb
to cut off or block (a road, path)to break off relationsto break an electric circuit

Examples

  • 断路。
    Hóng shuǐ bǎ tōng wǎng shān cūn de duàn lù gěi chōng duàn le.
    The flood cut off the road leading to the mountain village.
  • ，。
    Tā men hé zuò shí nián, zuì hòu yīn wèi lì yì wèn tí duàn le lù.
    They worked together for ten years, but finally broke off relations over interests.
  • ，断路。
    Bǎo xiǎn sī shāo le, jiā lǐ zhěng gè diàn lù dōu duàn lù le.
    The fuse blew, and the whole circuit in the house broke.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

断duànbreak
路lùroad

'断' (break) and '路' (road) combine to mean breaking or blocking a road.

Characters in this word

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 →

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
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →
Appears in
Energy & PowerRoads & Traffic

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