How to Write 断 (duàn) — Meaning “to break; to snap; to cut off”

Imagine an axe (斤) chopping a long rope, and the rope breaks into two pieces (the right side resembles a broken line). The act of the axe cutting through the rope vividly represents the meaning 'to break' or 'to snap'.

Start with the left component 斤: write the short left stroke, then the long horizontal, then the vertical stroke with a hook, and finally the left-falling stroke. The right side 㫃 has a top horizontal that should be slightly shorter than the left side's horizontal, and the bottom vertical stroke must align properly to keep the character balanced.

斫 (zhuó) means 'to chop' with a heavy tool, often used for wood or stone, while 断 focuses on snapping or cutting off connections. 斯 (sī) means 'this' or 'then' in classical Chinese and has no cutting meaning, so it is visually similar but completely different in usage. Unlike 断, neither 斫 nor 斯 is used in common phrases like '判断' (judgment).

断 appears in everyday phrases like 断了 (broken, e.g., a wire is snapped) and 不断 (continuous, literally 'not broken'). It is also common in abstract uses such as 判断 (to judge, i.e., 'to break' a case or decision) and 诊断 (diagnosis, medical 'breakdown' of symptoms). In Chinese culture, 断 is associated with decisiveness, as in 果断 (resolute, 'fruitful breaking').

Common words containing 断 include: 断了 (duàn le) — broken; snapped; disconnected; 不断 (bù duàn) — continuous; constant; 判断 (pàn duàn) — judge / judgment.