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March 24, 2026
暂停(暫停)zàntíng(zan4ting2)
暂停 (zàn tíng) means to temporarily stop or suspend an activity. It is commonly used in contexts such as sports to indicate a time-out, or in media when referring to pausing a video or audio playback.
Frequency#3907DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese sports culture, the concept of 暂停 is very important, especially in basketball and football, where strategic time-outs can change the course of a game significantly.
Memory Tip
Think of 暂 (zàn) as a 'temporary' pause and 停 (tíng) as 'stop'. Imagine a sports coach yelling '暂停!' to get the players to freeze for a moment, just like hitting the pause button on a media player.
Meanings of 暂停
zàntíng(zan4ting2)
1to suspend
2time-out (e.g. in sports)
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About 暂停
暂停Simplified
暫停Traditional
—Strokes
—Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L4IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2
Podcast: 暂停
Podcast: 暂停
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AI Study Notes for 暂停
Quick Contrast
暂停 (zàntíng) vs 停止 (tíngzhǐ): use 暂停 for temporary stops, while 停止 implies a permanent cessation.
Memory Mnemonic
Think of 暂 (zàn) as a 'temporary' pause and 停 (tíng) as 'stop'. Imagine a sports coach yelling '暂停!' to get the players to freeze for a moment, just like hitting the pause button on a media player.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 暂停 with 结束 (jié shù), which means 'to end'. This term is more commonly used in informal contexts, such as conversations about media or sports, rather than in formal writing.
HSK Study Tips
Although 暂停 is not directly listed in HSK levels, it is relevant for intermediate learners as it combines the concepts of time (暂) and stopping (停). Focus on its usage in everyday conversations and media contexts.
Cultural Note
In Chinese sports culture, the concept of 暂停 is very important, especially in basketball and football, where strategic time-outs can change the course of a game significantly.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 暂停 with 停止 (tíng zhǐ), which means 'to stop permanently'. A wrong example would be saying '我想停止这个视频' (wǒ xiǎng tíng zhǐ zhè ge shì pín) when they mean to pause instead of stop.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 暂停
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Cultural Notes for 暂停
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese sports culture, the concept of 暂停 is very important, especially in basketball and football, where strategic time-outs can change the course of a game significantly.
Frequently Asked Questions about 暂停
You can use 暂停 when discussing pausing a video, taking a break during sports, or stopping an activity temporarily.
It is generally used in informal contexts, but can appear in reports about sports or media.
No, 暂停 specifically means to pause or suspend; for 'end', use 结束 (jié shù).
