切断

• Pinyin: qiē duàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 切 = 七 + 刀 (knife — to cut); 断 = 斤 + 米 (axe cutting through something — to break, to sever)

Meaning

To cut off; to sever; to interrupt or completely break a connection, supply, or link.

Used both literally (cutting through a wire, rope, or limb) and figuratively (cutting off supply lines, communications, or relationships). A versatile term appearing in military, technical, medical, and everyday contexts. Figuratively it is commonly used in strategic and conflict contexts: 切断补给线 (cut off supply lines), 切断联系 (sever ties).

Examples

1. 地震导致山区通往外界的唯一道路被巨石切断，救援队只能依靠直升机运送物资。 An earthquake caused boulders to cut off the only road connecting the mountain area to the outside world, so rescue teams had to rely on helicopters to deliver supplies.
2. 黑客入侵系统后，技术人员立即切断了受影响服务器与外部网络的连接，防止数据进一步泄露。 After hackers broke into the system, technicians immediately cut off the affected servers’ connection to the external network to prevent further data leaks.
3. 医生在手术中精准切断了肿瘤的供血血管，为彻底切除创造了条件。 During surgery, the doctor precisely severed the blood vessels supplying the tumor, creating the conditions for complete removal.

Usage Guide

Context: military, technology, medicine, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 联合国制裁决议生效后，多个成员国相继切断了与该国的贸易往来和金融渠道，使其经济陷入严重孤立。(After the UN sanctions resolution came into effect, multiple member states successively cut off trade and financial channels with the country, pushing its economy into serious isolation.)
• 运营商检测到异常流量后立即采取行动，切断了疑似遭受攻击的节点与核心网络之间的连接，成功遏制了攻击蔓延。(After detecting abnormal traffic, the operator immediately took action to cut off the connection between the suspected compromised node and the core network, successfully preventing the attack from spreading.)

Don't Say

• 他切断了这段对话 — for abruptly ending a conversation use 打断 (to interrupt) or 中断谈话 (to break off the conversation); 切断 implies a complete and deliberate physical or technical severance

Origin & History

切 (to cut) + 断 (to break/sever) — to cut and break completely

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal