间断 jiànduàn disconnected
disconnected; interrupted; suspended; a gap; a break
How to remember 间断: 间 room + 断 sever = disconnected.
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How it is used
- A break in something that should be continuous - 他每天跑步,从不间断 (tā měitiān pǎobù, cóngbú jiànduàn) he runs daily and never breaks the routine.
- Usually appears in the negative (从不间断, 不曾间断) to stress unbroken continuity. Note reading jiàn, not jiān.
- Contrast 中断 (zhōngduàn), which is a forced/sudden cutoff; 间断 is a lapse in an ongoing habit or process.