Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Intermittent; discontinuous; broken: Describes something that does not continue smoothly or without stopping, but rather starts and stops at intervals.
   • Interrupted: Describes a process, activity, or sound that is stopped and started again, not continuous.

2. Adverb:

   • Intermittently; discontinuously: Describes the manner of an action happening with pauses or breaks in between.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Tiếng chuông điện thoại ngắt quãng. (The phone ringtone was intermittent.)
  • Cô ấy có một giấc ngủ ngắt quãng vì tiếng ồn. (She had a broken sleep because of the noise.)
• Adverb:
  • Anh ấy nói ngắt quãng vì xúc động. (He spoke haltingly because he was emotional.)
  • Dịch vụ internet hoạt động ngắt quãng. (The internet service operates intermittently.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe signals, communications, or patterns that are not steady.
  • Tín hiệu radio bị ngắt quãng do thời tiết. (The radio signal was interrupted due to the weather.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ngắt (v): to cut off, to disconnect, to interrupt.
  • Ngắt lời: to interrupt someone speaking.
• Quãng (n): an interval, a space (of time or distance).
  • Quãng nghỉ: a break, an intermission.

Synonyms

• Intermittent: occurring at irregular intervals.
• Discontinuous: having intervals or gaps.
• Broken: not continuous; interrupted.
• Halting: proceeding in a fragmentary or hesitant way.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Nói ngắt quãng: to speak haltingly or falteringly.
  • Đứa trẻ nói ngắt quãng khi lần đầu kể chuyện. (The child spoke haltingly when telling the story for the first time.)
• Âm thanh ngắt quãng: intermittent sound.
  • Âm thanh ngắt quãng từ loa cho thấy có vấn đề về kết nối. (The intermittent sound from the speaker indicates a connection problem.)

1. Interrupted