Definition
断 (duàn) covers three related meanings: physical break/snap (绳子断了), interruption (断电), and quitting a habit (断烟). For snapping long thin objects, 折 (shé) is more specific; for interrupting speech, use 打断. For abstaining, 断 is personal (habit), while 禁忌/忌讳 are cultural taboos.
verb
to breakto snap (physically)to cut offto interruptto give upto abstain from (a habit)
Easily confused
- 听tīnglook-aliketo listen; to hear
- 段duànsound-alike(classifier) used for sections of time, text, road, or stages of a process; segment, paragraph, stretch
- 斩zhǎnlook-aliketo behead (as capital punishment)
- 短duǎnsound-alikeshort, brief
- 折zhélook-aliketo break, to fracture
- 端duānsound-aliketo hold (a cup, bowl, etc.) level with both hands; to carry (in both hands)
- 近jìnlook-alikenear; close (in distance or time)
Examples
- 断。Shéngzi tūrán duàn le.The rope suddenly snapped.
- ，。Táifēng guòhòu, hěnduō dìfang duàn diàn le.After the typhoon, many places lost power.
- ，。Bǎobao yī suì le, gāi duàn nǎi le.The baby is one year old, it's time to wean.
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