停顿 tíngdùn to halt
to halt; to break off; pause (in speech)
How to remember 停顿: 停 stop + 顿 measure word for meals = to halt.
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How it is used
- A pause/break - in speech, work, or process - 说话时停顿一下 (shuōhuà shí tíngdùn yīxià) pause a moment while speaking.
- Both the momentary pause in speech and a temporary halt in an activity (工作停顿, work came to a halt).
- vs 停滞 (tíngzhì, prolonged stagnation) - 停顿 is a shorter, often intentional break that can resume.