断绝

斷絕

duànjué

verb #9,495

Meanings

1 to sever; to cut off completely
2 to break off (relations, contact, etc.)

Characters

to break; to cut off

to sever; absolute; extreme

Break + sever — doubly final, emphasizing complete termination.

Examples

他和家人断绝了关系。

Tā hé jiārén duànjué le guānxì.

He severed his relationship with his family.

两国断绝了外交关系。

Liǎng guó duànjué le wàijiāo guānxì.

The two countries broke off diplomatic relations.

她下定决心断绝一切联系。

Tā xiàdìng juéxīn duànjué yīqiè liánxì.

She made up her mind to cut off all contact.

Tips

usage

断绝 implies a complete and deliberate severing — it's final and absolute. Common collocations: 断绝关系 (sever relations), 断绝联系 (cut off contact), 断绝来往 (cut off dealings).

grammar

断绝 is typically followed by the object being cut off: 断绝 + [关系/联系/来往/希望]. It can also be used in passive: 被断绝.

Stroke Order

断 duàn

绝 jué