Usage of 断 (duàn)
The character 断 primarily means "to break" or "to cut off." It is used both in physical contexts, such as breaking a rope or bone, and in abstract contexts, like cutting off relationships or making firm decisions.
Physical breakage
Use 断 when something is physically broken or snapped, e.g., 断了绳子 (the rope broke).
Cutting off or severing
It also expresses severing connections, such as 断绝联系 (cut off contact), which implies a complete and deliberate end.
Decision and refusal
断 can describe firm decisions or refusals, often with an adverb like 断然 (firmly), indicating resoluteness.
Intermittent action
In reduplicated form 断断续续, it means "intermittently" or "off and on," often describing speech or actions that are not continuous.
Common collocations
- 断开 (to disconnect)
- 断电 (power outage)
- 断层 (fault, geological or metaphorical)
- 断定 (to conclude, decide)
Tips
Avoid confusing 断 with similar verbs like 切 (to cut) which usually implies cutting with a tool, while 断 emphasizes breaking or severing completely. Also, 断 often carries a stronger sense of finality or decisiveness.