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断绝

斷絕
duànjué
verb #9,495

Meanings

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

Characters

断
duàn
to break; to cut off
绝
jué
to sever; absolute; extreme
Break + sever - doubly final, emphasizing complete termination.

Examples

HSK 3
他和家人断绝了关系。
Tā hé jiārén duànjué le guānxì.
He severed his relationship with his family.
HSK 3
两国断绝了外交关系。
Liǎng guó duànjué le wàijiāo guānxì.
The two countries broke off diplomatic relations.
HSK 4
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