Definition
中断 means to interrupt or cut short something that was ongoing, like a conversation, flight, or connection. It focuses on the break itself, often due to an external cause, and is more formal than 打断 (dǎ duàn), which is the everyday word for interrupting someone speaking. 中止 (zhōng zhǐ) implies a deliberate suspension, while 中断 can be accidental or forced.
verb
to interruptto cut shortto discontinueto break off
Easily confused
- 终端zhōng duānsound-aliketerminal (computer device)
Examples
- 中断。Tāmen de tánhuà bèi tūrúqílái de diànhuà zhōng duàn le.Their conversation was interrupted by an unexpected phone call.
- ，中断。Yīnwèi bàofēngyǔ, hángbān zhōng duàn le sān gè xiǎoshí.The flights were suspended for three hours because of the storm.
- 中断，。Wǎngluò liánjiē tūrán zhōng duàn, wǒ xūyào chóngxīn qǐdòng lùyóuqì.The internet connection suddenly dropped, and I need to restart the router.
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