not to delay making a decision when a decision is needed
当断则断當斷則斷dang1 duan4 ze2 duan4
to make a decision when it's time to decide
当机立断當機立斷dang1 ji1 li4 duan4
to make prompt decisions (idiom)
电脑断层扫描電腦斷層掃描dian4 nao3 duan4 ceng2 sao3 miao2
CAT scan; CT scan
跌断跌斷die1 duan4
to fall and fracture (a leg, vertebra etc)
独断獨斷du2 duan4
to decide alone without consultation; arbitrary; dictatorial
独断独行獨斷獨行du2 duan4 du2 xing2
to decide and act alone (idiom); to take arbitrary action; a law unto oneself
独断专行獨斷專行du2 duan4 zhuan1 xing2
to decide and act alone (idiom); to take arbitrary action; a law unto oneself
断案斷案duan4 an4
to judge a case
断背斷背duan4 bei4
homosexual, cf Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain
断背山斷背山duan4 bei4 shan1
Brokeback Mountain, film by Ang Lee
断层斷層duan4 ceng2
fault (geology); (fig.) gap; rupture (in the transmission of some skill); (tomography) cross-sectional
断层线斷層線duan4 ceng2 xian4
geological fault line
断肠斷腸duan4 chang2
heartbroken; to break one's heart
断代斷代duan4 dai4
periodization (of history)
断档斷檔duan4 dang4
sold out; to be out of stock
断电斷電duan4 dian4
power cut; electric power failure
断定斷定duan4 ding4
to conclude; to determine; to come to a judgment
断断续续斷斷續續duan4 duan4 xu4 xu4
intermittent; off and on; discontinuous; stop-go; stammering; disjointed; inarticulate
断港绝潢斷港絕潢duan4 gang3 jue2 huang2
to be unable to continue; to come to a dead end (idiom)
断行斷行duan4 hang2
line break (computing)
断乎斷乎duan4 hu1
certainly
断魂椒斷魂椒duan4 hun2 jiao1
king cobra or ghost chili (Naga jolokia)
断货斷貨duan4 huo4
to run out of (stock)
断交斷交duan4 jiao1
to end a relationship; to break off diplomatic ties
断句斷句duan4 ju4
to pause at appropriate points in reading aloud unpunctuated writing; to punctuate
断绝斷絕duan4 jue2
to sever; to break off
断开斷開duan4 kai1
to break; to sever; to turn off (electric switch)
断粮斷糧duan4 liang2
to run out of food
断裂斷裂duan4 lie4
fracture; rupture; to break apart
断裂带斷裂帶duan4 lie4 dai4
fault zone (geology)
断裂模数斷裂模數duan4 lie4 mo2 shu4
modulus rupture
断裂强度斷裂強度duan4 lie4 qiang2 du4
rupture strength; breaking strength
断流斷流duan4 liu2
to run dry (of river)
断路器斷路器duan4 lu4 qi4
circuit breaker
断灭斷滅duan4 mie4
annihilation (of soul, Sanskrit uccheda)
断灭论斷滅論duan4 mie4 lun4
annihilation (of soul, Sanskrit uccheda)
断奶斷奶duan4 nai3
to wean
断片斷片duan4 pian4
fragment; piece; (of a film) to break in the middle of viewing
断气斷氣duan4 qi4
to stop breathing; to breathe one's last; to die; to cut the gas supply
断桥斷橋duan4 qiao2
The Broken Bridge (at West Lake in Hangzhou)
断然斷然duan4 ran2
resolute; definitive; categorically; absolutely
断食斷食duan4 shi2
to fast; hunger strike
断送斷送duan4 song4
to forfeit (future profit, one's life etc); ruined
断头台斷頭台duan4 tou2 tai2
guillotine; scaffold
断腿斷腿duan4 tui3
broken leg
断瓦残垣斷瓦殘垣duan4 wa3 can2 yuan2
the tiles are broken, the walls dilapidated
断弦斷弦duan4 xian2
widowed; lit. broken string, cf 琴瑟 qin and se, two instruments epitomizing marital harmony
断线斷線duan4 xian4
(of a guitar, kite etc) to have a string break; (of a tradition etc) to be discontinued; (telephone or Internet connection) disconnected; cut off
断线风筝斷線風箏duan4 xian4 feng1 zheng1
a kite with cut string (idiom); fig. gone beyond recall
断线钳斷線鉗duan4 xian4 qian2
bolt cutter
断想斷想duan4 xiang3
brief commentary
断行斷行duan4 xing2
to carry out resolutely
断袖斷袖duan4 xiu4
homosexual; see 斷袖之癖|断袖之癖
断袖之癖斷袖之癖duan4 xiu4 zhi1 pi3
lit. cut sleeve (idiom); fig. euphemism for homosexuality, originating from History of Western Han 漢書|汉书: emperor Han Aidi (real name Liu Xin) was in bed with his lover Dong Xian, and had to attend a court audience that morning. Not wishing to awaken Dong
断续斷續duan4 xu4
intermittent
断崖斷崖duan4 ya2
steep cliff; crag; precipice
断言斷言duan4 yan2
to assert; assertion
断语斷語duan4 yu3
conclusion; judgment; verdict
断狱斷獄duan4 yu4
to pass judgment on a legal case
断章取义斷章取義duan4 zhang1 qu3 yi4
to quote out of context (idiom)
多谋善断多謀善斷duo1 mou2 shan4 duan4
resourceful and decisive; resolute and sagacious
恩断义绝恩斷義絕en1 duan4 yi4 jue2
to split up; to break all ties
反垄断反壟斷fan3 long3 duan4
anti-trust legislation; anti-monopoly
反垄断法反壟斷法fan3 long3 duan4 fa3
anti-trust law; legislation again monopolies
风波不断風波不斷feng1 bo1 bu4 duan4
constantly in turmoil; crisis after crisis
肝肠寸断肝腸寸斷gan1 chang2 cun4 duan4
lit. liver and guts cut to pieces (idiom); broken hearted; all cut up
割断割斷ge1 duan4
to cut off; to sever
割袍断义割袍斷義ge1 pao2 duan4 yi4
to rip one's robe as a sign of repudiating a sworn brotherhood (idiom); to break all friendly ties
隔断隔斷ge2 duan4
partition; to stand between; wall or fence serving as partition
隔断板隔斷板ge2 duan4 ban3
partition board
公断公斷gong1 duan4
arbitration (law)
寡头垄断寡頭壟斷gua3 tou2 long3 duan4
oligopoly
挂断掛斷gua4 duan4
to hang up (a phone)
果断果斷guo3 duan4
firm; decisive
喝断片喝斷片he1 duan4 pian4
to get blackout drunk (slang)
横断橫斷heng2 duan4
to cross (a road, an ocean etc); to cut across
横断步道橫斷步道heng2 duan4 bu4 dao4
pedestrian crossing
横断面橫斷面heng2 duan4 mian4
horizontal section
横断山脉橫斷山脈heng2 duan4 shan1 mai4
Hengduan mountains, several parallel mountain ranges on the border between west Yunnan and Sichuan and east Tibet
横断物橫斷物heng2 duan4 wu4
transverse object
计算机断层計算機斷層ji4 suan4 ji1 duan4 ceng2
CT, computed tomography (medical imaging method)
夹断夾斷jia1 duan4
to nip (i.e. cut short); to pinch off
剪断剪斷jian3 duan4
to cut; to snip
间断間斷jian4 duan4
disconnected; interrupted; suspended
接连不断接連不斷jie1 lian2 bu4 duan4
in unbroken succession (idiom)
截断截斷jie2 duan4
to break or cut in two; to sever; to cut off; (fig.) to cut off (a conversation, a flow etc); to interrupt; (math.) to truncate
戒断戒斷jie4 duan4
withdrawal (from drugs)
决断決斷jue2 duan4
to make a decision; resolution; decisiveness; resolute
砍断砍斷kan3 duan4
to chop off
快刀断乱麻快刀斷亂麻kuai4 dao1 duan4 luan4 ma2
lit. quick sword cuts through tangled hemp (idiom); decisive action in a complex situation; cutting the Gordian knot
连续不断連續不斷lian2 xu4 bu4 duan4
continuous; unceasing
了断了斷liao3 duan4
to settle (a dispute etc); to break off (a relationship etc); resolution (of a problem)
龙门断层龍門斷層long2 men2 duan4 ceng2
Longmenshan fault line, a tectonically active thrust fault line at the northwest boundary of the Sichuan basin
龙门山断层龍門山斷層long2 men2 shan1 duan4 ceng2
Longmenshan fault line, a tectonically active thrust fault line at the northwest boundary of the Sichuan basin
垄断壟斷long3 duan4
to enjoy market dominance; to monopolize
垄断贩卖壟斷販賣long3 duan4 fan4 mai4
monopoly
论断論斷lun4 duan4
to infer; to judge; inference; judgment; conclusion
买断買斷mai3 duan4
to buy out; buyout; severance
逆断层逆斷層ni4 duan4 ceng2
reverse fault (geology); compression fault, where one block pushes over the other at dip of less than 45 degrees
藕断丝连藕斷絲連ou3 duan4 si1 lian2
lit. lotus roots may break, but the fiber remains joined (idiom); lovers part, but still long for one another