卡顿

• Pinyin: kǎ dùn
• Hanzi breakdown: 卡 (stuck) + 顿 (pause) -> repeated sticking and pausing.

Meaning

Digital lag, stuttering, or choppy performance.

It is used for phones, apps, games, video calls, and computers. It can also metaphorically describe a person pausing awkwardly, though tech use is primary.

Examples

1. 视频会议一直卡顿，听不清。 The video meeting kept lagging, so I couldn't hear clearly.
2. 手机用久了开始卡顿。 After being used for a long time, the phone started to lag.
3. 游戏画面卡顿，体验很差。 The game was choppy, and the experience was really poor.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, gaming, workplace

Tone: frustrated, technical

Do Say

• 网络不好，画面有点卡顿。（The network is poor, so the video is choppy.）
• 清理空间后卡顿少了。（Lag decreased after clearing storage.）

Don't Say

• 把内容无聊说成画面卡顿。（卡顿 refers to performance, not interest level.）

Common Mistakes

• Using it for total crash; 卡顿 means lagging, not necessarily closing.

Origin & History

Combines 卡, "stuck/lagging," with 顿, "pause," in everyday tech speech.

Cultural Context

Era: 2000s-2020s

Generation: All digital users

Social background: Broadly used

Regional notes: Common in Mainland tech and daily speech.