Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Intermittent, discontinuous: Describes something that occurs or exists with pauses or breaks in between, not continuously or steadily.
   • Interrupted, spaced out: Refers to a state of being separated by intervals, not in direct or constant connection.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Dòng điện gián cách có thể gây hư hỏng thiết bị. (An intermittent electric current can damage equipment.)
  • Cô ấy nghe thấy những tiếng động gián cách từ phòng bên cạnh. (She heard intermittent noises from the next room.)
  • Mối liên hệ giữa họ trở nên gián cách sau nhiều năm. (The connection between them became intermittent after many years.)

Advanced Usage

• Technical/Scientific Context: Often used in technical fields (e.g., electricity, engineering, medicine) to describe non-continuous phenomena.
  • Sự gián cách trong tín hiệu vô tuyến là do nhiễu. (The intermittency in the radio signal is due to interference.)
• Formal/Literary Context: Can describe abstract concepts like relationships or communication.
  • Cuộc đối thoại gián cách của họ kéo dài nhiều thập kỷ. (Their intermittent dialogue spanned decades.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gián đoạn (verb/noun): To interrupt; an interruption. More common than "gián cách".
  • Công việc bị gián đoạn vì mất điện. (The work was interrupted by a power outage.)
• Ngắt quãng (adjective/adverb): Sporadic, brokenly. Similar in meaning but often used for actions or speech.
  • Anh ấy nói một cách ngắt quãng vì xúc động. (He spoke brokenly due to emotion.)
• Không liên tục (phrase): Not continuous. A direct descriptive phrase.

Synonyms

• Thất thường: Irregular, erratic.
• Chập chờn: Flickering, unsteady (often for light or signals).
• Từng đợt: In bouts, in spells.

Notes on Usage

• Frequency: "Gián cách" is considered a less common (ít dùng) word in modern Vietnamese. "Gián đoạn" or descriptive phrases like "không liên tục" are more frequently used in everyday language.
• Register: It carries a formal or technical tone. Its use is typically found in written texts, scientific reports, or formal descriptions rather than casual conversation.
• Meaning Nuance: It emphasizes the nature of having gaps or intervals, rather than the single event of being broken or stopped.

1. (ít dùng) Intermittent
   • Dòng điện gián cách
     an intermittent electric current