HSK Level 5

暂停

zàn tíng

pause; suspend; time out

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Example Sentences

请暂停一下。

qǐng zàntíng yīxià.

Please pause for a moment.

比赛暂停了。

bǐsài zàntíngle.

The game has been paused.

我需要暂停一下,休息一下。

wǒ xūyào zàntíng yīxià, xiūxi yīxià.

I need to pause for a while and take a break.

Synonyms

Antonyms

继续 (jìxù)

continue

开始 (kāishǐ)

start

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 暂停 (zàntíng) is composed of two characters: 暂 (zàn) and 停 (tíng). 暂 means "temporary" or "for the time being", while 停 means "to stop" or "to pause". Together, 暂停 means "to pause" or "to suspend".The word 暂停 is commonly used in everyday speech and writing. For example, you might say 暂停一下 (zàntíng yīxià) to ask someone to pause what they are doing, or you might see the sign 暂停营业 (zàntíng yíngyè) on a store that is closed for business.The word 暂停 can also be used in a more figurative sense. For example, you might say 暂停一下你的计划 (zàntíng yīxià nǐ de jìhuà) to tell someone to put their plans on hold.The etymology of the word 暂停 is relatively straightforward. The character 暂 is derived from the oracle bone script for "a hand holding a knife", which represents the idea of "cutting off" or "stopping". The character 停 is derived from the oracle bone script for "a person standing still", which represents the idea of "stopping" or "pausing".The word 暂停 is a useful addition to your Chinese vocabulary. It is a common word that can be used in a variety of situations.