斷

斷 (Kangxi radical 69, 斤+14, 18 strokes, cangjie input 女戈竹一中 (VIHML), four-corner 2272₁, composition ⿰㡭斤)

• KangXi: page 480, character 35
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 13611
• Dae Jaweon: page 841, character 22
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2028, character 13
• Unihan data for U+65B7

Historical forms of the character 斷
Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script

Ideogrammic compound (會意) : 𢇍 (“to cut”) + 斤 (“axe”).

Before the Qin dynasty, this character was written as 𠸿 or 𠜷. According to Shuowen, the left component is an old form of 叀.

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *dan (“cut”).

斷

1. to break; to snap; to cut

   他說他的手臂斷了。 [MSC, trad.]
   他说他的手臂断了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā shuō tā de shǒubì duàn le. [Pinyin]

   He said that he'd broken his arm.

   枝樹枝斷咗。／枝树枝断咗。 [Cantonese]  ―  zi¹ syu⁶ zi¹ tyun⁵ zo². [Jyutping]  ―  A tree branch broke.

   • 斷木為杵，掘地為臼，臼杵之利，萬民以濟。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     断木为杵，掘地为臼，臼杵之利，万民以济。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: I Ching, 11^th – 8^th century BCE

     Duàn mù wèi chǔ, jué dì wèi jiù, jiùchǔ zhī lì, wànmín yǐ jì. [Pinyin]

     They cut wood and fashioned it into pestles; they dug in the ground and formed mortars. Thus the myriads of the people received the benefit arising from the use of the pestle and mortar.

   • 抽刀斷水水更流，舉杯銷愁愁更愁。人生在世不稱意，明朝散髮弄扁舟。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     抽刀断水水更流，举杯销愁愁更愁。人生在世不称意，明朝散发弄扁舟。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 宣州謝朓樓餞別校書叔雲 written by Li Bai

     Chōu dāo duàn shuǐ shuǐ gèng liú, jǔ bēi xiāo chóu chóu gèng chóu. Rénshēng zàishì bù chènyì, míngzhāo sànfà nòng piānzhōu. [Pinyin]

     I take out a knife and cut the water, but it only flows more violently; I raise my cup to drown my sorrows, but they only intensify. In my life I cannot live in the way I want; tomorrow morning I shall loosen my hair and get on a small boat.

2. to cut off; to sever; to interrupt

   通話斷了。／通话断了。  ―  Tōnghuà duàn le.  ―  The line has gone dead.

   斷電／断电  ―  duàndiàn  ―  to experience a power outage

   斷交／断交  ―  duànjiāo  ―  to sever ties

   • 我先后綏乃祖乃父，乃祖乃父乃斷棄汝，不救乃死。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     我先后绥乃祖乃父，乃祖乃父乃断弃汝，不救乃死。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Documents, circa 7^th – 4^th centuries BCE

     Wǒ xiānhòu suí nǎi zǔ nǎi fù, nǎi zǔ nǎi fù nǎi duàn qì rǔ, bù jiù nǎi sǐ. [Pinyin]

     Whereas my royal predecessors made your ancestors and fathers happy, they, your ancestors and fathers, will [now] cut you off and abandon you, and not save you from death.

   • 過言不再，流言不極；不斷其威，不習其謀。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     过言不再，流言不极；不断其威，不习其谋。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

     Guòyán bù zài, liúyán bù jí; bù duàn qí wēi, bù xí qí móu. [Pinyin]

     He does not repeat any error of speech; any rumours against him he does not pursue up to their source; he does not allow his dignity to be interrupted; he does not dread to practise [beforehand] the counsels [which he gives].

   • 蘭芝初還時，府吏見丁寧，結誓不別離。今日違情義，恐此事非奇。自可斷來信，徐徐更謂之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     兰芝初还时，府吏见丁宁，结誓不别离。今日违情义，恐此事非奇。自可断来信，徐徐更谓之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Southeast the Peacock Flies, before 6th century CE, translated by Burton Watson

     Lánzhī chū huán shí, fǔlì jiàn dīngníng, jié shì bù biélí. Jīnrì wéi qíngyì, kǒng cǐ shì fēi qí. Zì kě duàn láixìn, xúxú gèng wèi zhī. [Pinyin]

     When I came home this time, the clerk pleaded with me again and again, and we made a vow that we'd never part. Today if I went against those feelings, I fear nothing lucky could come of it! Let us break off these negotiations, or say we need time to think it over slowly.

3. to give up; to abstain from; to quit

   斷煙／断烟  ―  duàn yān  ―  to quit smoking

   在孩子三個月大時，她給孩子斷了奶，並開始喂奶粉。 [MSC, trad.]
   在孩子三个月大时，她给孩子断了奶，并开始喂奶粉。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zài háizǐ sān ge yuè dà shí, tā gěi háizǐ duàn le nǎi, bìng kāishǐ wèi nǎifěn. [Pinyin]

   She weaned her baby when he was 3 months old and started him on powdered milk.

斷

1. to judge; to decide; to determine; to settle

   判斷／判断  ―  pànduàn  ―  to decide, to determine

   這個案子很難斷。／这个案子很难断。  ―  Zhè ge ànzǐ hěn nán duàn.  ―  It is hard to judge this case.

   • 忠臣孝子有過，必以其數斷。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     忠臣孝子有过，必以其数断。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Lord Shang, circa 3^rd century BCE, translated based on J.J.L. Duyvendak's version

     Zhōngchén xiàozǐ yǒu guò, bì yǐ qí shù duàn. [Pinyin]

     If loyal ministers and filial sons do wrong, they must be judged according to the full measure of their guilt.

2. (used in the negative) absolutely; definitely; decidedly
3. (Cantonese) to count in a certain unit

   啲菜係斷斤計定斷磅計㗎？ [Cantonese, trad.]
   啲菜系断斤计定断磅计㗎？ [Cantonese, simp.]

   di¹ coi³ hai⁶ dyun³ gan¹ gai³ ding⁶ dyun³ bong⁶ gai³ gaa³? [Jyutping]

   Are the vegetable's prices calculated based on catties or pounds?

4. 29th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "decisiveness" (𝌢)

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 断)

1. sever
2. cut off
3. interrupt

• Go-on: だん (dan)
• Kan-on: たん (tan)
• Kun: たつ (tatsu, 斷つ); ことわる (kotowaru, 斷る); さだめる (sadameru, 斷める)

斷 (eumhun 끊을 단 (kkeuneul dan))

1. Hanja form^? of 단 (“sever”).
2. Hanja form^? of 단 (“cut off”).
3. Hanja form^? of 단 (“interrupt”).

• 판단 (判斷, pandan, “judgement, determination”)
• 절단 (切斷, jeoldan, “cutting, cutting off, severance”)
• 단절 (斷層, danjeol, “(geology) fault”)

斷: Hán Nôm readings: đoán, đoạn

1. chữ Hán form of đoán (“to guess; to predict; to surmise; to divine”).
2. chữ Hán form of đoạn (“painful; broken off; to corner”).