断
Character Story & Explanation
断 is ubiquitous in modern Chinese — from tech ('network disconnected': 网络断了 wǎngluò duàn le) to law ('break legal ties': 断绝亲属关系 duànjué qīnshǔ guānxi) to daily life ('my phone call dropped': 电话断了 diànhuà duàn le). It appears in the classical idiom 断章取义 (duàn zhāng qǔ yì, 'to quote out of context' — literally 'cut a chapter and take the meaning'), documented since the Han dynasty in commentaries on the Book of Songs. This phrase remains widely used today in media and education criticism.
The character’s earliest attested form appears in bronze inscriptions (c. 1000 BCE) as a pictograph combining 斤 (axe) and 㡿 (a variant of 丷, suggesting separation), reflecting its core sense of 'cutting apart'. No oracle bone form survives, but by the Warring States period, 断 was already used for both physical and metaphorical severance — consistent with how Chinese speakers use it today.
Hi students! Let’s learn 断 (duàn), a Level 4 HSK character meaning 'to break' — but not just physically. It often means *to sever*, *to cut off*, or *to interrupt* something intangible: a connection, a habit, a line of thought, or even a phone call. Its radical 斤 (jīn) is the 'axe' radical — reminding us that breaking often involves decisive action, like chopping with a tool. This character appears in many abstract contexts, so don’t translate it literally every time!
Notice its 11 strokes — the top part is ‘two hands holding a line’ (the two dots + horizontal stroke + vertical hook), and the bottom is 斤 (axe). This structure reflects the idea of *using force to separate*. In spoken Chinese, duàn is commonly used as a verb, but also appears in compound words and idioms where it signals finality or discontinuity — like cutting a rope and letting go.
As a beginner, remember: 断 rarely stands alone in speech — it’s almost always in compounds like 断开 (duàn kāi, 'to disconnect') or 断绝 (duàn jué, 'to cut off completely'). Also, it’s not about sudden shattering (that’s more 碎), but about intentional, clean separation — like ending a relationship or stopping a bad habit. Practice saying duàn with the fourth tone: sharp and falling, like giving a command!
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
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