đứt đoạn
Definition
Adjective:
- Discontinuous / Interrupted: Describes something that is not continuous, with breaks or gaps in its sequence, flow, or structure.
- Fragmentary / Broken: Refers to something that is broken into separate parts or pieces, lacking coherence or a smooth connection.
Verb (less common):
- To become discontinuous / To break off: The process of becoming interrupted or broken into fragments.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- Dòng điện bị đứt đoạn. (The electric current is discontinuous/interrupted.)
- Câu chuyện của anh ấy nghe rất đứt đoạn. (His story sounds very fragmentary.)
- Sự phát triển đứt đoạn của nền kinh tế. (The discontinuous development of the economy.)
Verb:
- Mạch tín hiệu đột nhiên đứt đoạn. (The signal circuit suddenly broke off.)
Advanced Usage
- Used in technical, scientific, and formal contexts to describe processes, signals, data, or narratives that are not smooth or continuous.
- Often implies a negative quality, suggesting inefficiency, lack of flow, or impaired function.
Variants and Related Words
Đứt (v): to break, to snap. Often refers to a physical break.
- Sợi dây bị đứt. (The string broke.)
Đoạn (n): a segment, a section, a part.
- Đoạn văn này khó hiểu. (This paragraph is difficult to understand.)
Gián đoạn (adj/v): to interrupt, to discontinue; interrupted. A close synonym with a similar meaning.
- Công việc bị gián đoạn. (The work was interrupted.)
Synonyms
- Interrupted: Having the continuity broken.
- Discontinuous: Not forming a continuous sequence.
- Fragmentary: Consisting of small, disconnected parts.
- Broken: Having gaps; not continuous.
Related Idioms and Phrases
Nói chuyện đứt đoạn: To speak in a halting, fragmented manner.
- Cậu bé nói chuyện đứt đoạn vì xúc động. (The boy spoke haltingly because he was emotional.)
Mạch đứt đoạn: A broken circuit (literal); a broken train of thought (figurative).
- Tôi không theo kịp vì mạch suy nghĩ của cô ấy quá đứt đoạn. (I couldn't keep up because her train of thought was too disjointed.)