zàntíng: 暂停 - To Pause, To Suspend, To Halt Temporarily

• Keywords: zàntíng, 暂停, how to say pause in Chinese, suspend in Chinese, halt temporarily, stop Chinese, zanting, zàn tíng, Chinese for pause button, suspend work in Chinese, stop vs pause in Chinese.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 暂停 (zàntíng), which means “to pause” or “to suspend.” This versatile verb is used for everything from pausing a video game or a meeting to formally suspending a construction project or business operations. Understanding 暂停 (zàntíng) is key to navigating modern Chinese life, as it clearly communicates a temporary halt with the full intention of resuming later. This guide will break down its meaning, usage, and how it differs from a permanent stop.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): zàntíng
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To pause or suspend an action, process, or event for a temporary period.
• In a Nutshell: 暂停 (zàntíng) is the “pause button” of the Chinese language. It's not a final stop, but a deliberate, temporary break in an ongoing activity. Think of hitting pause on your music, putting a meeting on hold, or when a sports game calls a timeout. The core idea is that the activity is expected to continue after the pause ends.

• 暂 (zàn): This character means “temporary,” “for the time being,” or “brief.” It conveys the idea of a short, provisional period.
• 停 (tíng): This character means “to stop” or “to halt.” It has a wonderful pictorial origin: it's composed of the radical for “person” (人) next to a character for “pavilion” (亭). Imagine a person stopping to rest at a pavilion along their journey before continuing on.

When combined, 暂 (temporary) + 停 (stop) literally creates the meaning “a temporary stop,” which perfectly captures the essence of “to pause.”

While 暂停 (zàntíng) is a straightforward, functional term, its application in formal contexts carries significant weight. In Western culture, “pausing” can sometimes feel informal. In a Chinese business or official setting, announcing a 暂停 is a very deliberate and strategic act. For example, to 暂停 (zàntíng) negotiations is not just “taking a break”; it's a formal signal to both sides that there is an issue that needs to be reconsidered before talks can resume. It's a cooling-off period that can be used to rethink strategy or wait for external conditions to change. This contrasts with simply “canceling” (取消 qǔxiāo) a project, which is final. 暂停 implies hope or intention for resumption. It maintains the possibility of continuing, which aligns with cultural values that often prefer to avoid direct confrontation or the finality of burning bridges. It allows all parties to save face (面子 miànzi) by creating space for a resolution rather than declaring an outright failure.

暂停 (zàntíng) is ubiquitous in modern China, appearing in both digital and physical spaces, and in contexts ranging from casual to highly formal.

This is the most common use for learners. It's the literal word on the pause button for videos, music players, and video games.

• 游戏暂停 (yóuxì zàntíng) - Game paused.
• 点击暂停 (diǎnjī zàntíng) - Click to pause.

In the workplace, 暂停 is used to formally put meetings, projects, or operations on hold.

• 会议暂停五分钟。 (Huìyì zàntíng wǔ fēnzhōng.) - The meeting is paused for five minutes.
• 由于资金问题，项目暂停了。(Yóuyú zījīn wèntí, xiàngmù zàntíng le.) - Due to funding issues, the project has been suspended.

You will frequently see this term on public notices from the government or service providers.

• 1号线地铁因故暂停服务。(Yī hào xiàn dìtiě yīn gù zàntíng fúwù.) - Subway Line 1 has suspended service for some reason.
• 施工暂停 (shīgōng zàntíng) - Construction halted (often seen on signs).

• Example 1:
• 电影太感人了，我得暂停一下，擦擦眼泪。
• Pinyin: Diànyǐng tài gǎnrén le, wǒ děi zàntíng yīxià, cā cā yǎnlèi.
• English: The movie is so touching, I have to pause for a moment to wipe my tears.
• Analysis: A very common, everyday use related to media consumption. Here, the speaker is the one initiating the pause.
• Example 2:
• 裁判吹哨，比赛暂停。
• Pinyin: Cáipàn chuī shào, bǐsài zàntíng.
• English: The referee blew the whistle, and the game was paused.
• Analysis: This is standard vocabulary for sports, equivalent to a “timeout” or a halt in play.
• Example 3:
• 由于天气恶劣，所有航班都暂停起飞。
• Pinyin: Yóuyú tiānqì èliè, suǒyǒu hángbān dōu zàntíng qǐfēi.
• English: Due to severe weather, all flights have been temporarily suspended from taking off.
• Analysis: This shows a formal, official use of the word. The suspension is temporary and contingent on the weather improving.
• Example 4:
• 老师，我有个问题。我们可以暂停一下吗？
• Pinyin: Lǎoshī, wǒ yǒu gè wèntí. Wǒmen kěyǐ zàntíng yīxià ma?
• English: Teacher, I have a question. Can we pause for a moment?
• Analysis: A polite way to interrupt a process (like a lecture) to ask for clarification.
• Example 5:
• 该工厂已暂停生产，等待新的安全检查。
• Pinyin: Gāi gōngchǎng yǐ zàntíng shēngchǎn, děngdài xīn de ānquán jiǎnchá.
• English: That factory has suspended production, pending a new safety inspection.
• Analysis: Highlights the use of 暂停 in a regulatory or business context. The halt is conditional on a future event.
• Example 6:
• 你能不能暂停一下你手里的工作，听我说？
• Pinyin: Nǐ néng bu néng zàntíng yīxià nǐ shǒu lǐ de gōngzuò, tīng wǒ shuō?
• English: Can you pause the work you're doing and listen to me?
• Analysis: A conversational but direct way to ask for someone's full attention.
• Example 7:
• 我们的讨论没有进展，不如暂停一下，明天再继续。
• Pinyin: Wǒmen de tǎolùn méiyǒu jìnzhǎn, bùrú zàntíng yīxià, míngtiān zài jìxù.
• English: Our discussion isn't making any progress, why don't we pause for a bit and continue tomorrow.
• Analysis: Demonstrates 暂停 as a strategic choice to break a stalemate, with a clear plan to resume.
• Example 8:
• 网站正在维护中，部分服务已暂停。
• Pinyin: Wǎngzhàn zhèngzài wéihù zhōng, bùfèn fúwù yǐ zàntíng.
• English: The website is currently undergoing maintenance, and some services have been suspended.
• Analysis: A very common message seen online during updates or technical difficulties.
• Example 9:
• 两国决定暂停贸易谈判，以便各自进行内部磋商。
• Pinyin: Liǎng guó juédìng zàntíng màoyì tánpàn, yǐbiàn gèzì jìnxíng nèibù cuōshāng.
• English: The two countries decided to suspend trade negotiations in order to conduct their own internal consultations.
• Analysis: An example of 暂停 used in the high-stakes context of international relations and diplomacy.
• Example 10:
• 你玩游戏的时候，我能暂停去拿杯水吗？
• Pinyin: Nǐ wán yóuxì de shíhòu, wǒ néng zàntíng qù ná bēi shuǐ ma?
• English: While you're playing the game, can I pause it to get a drink of water?
• Analysis: A simple, practical question showing its use in a shared activity.

The most critical nuance for learners is distinguishing 暂停 (zàntíng) from similar-sounding “stop” words.

• 暂停 (zàntíng) vs. 停止 (tíngzhǐ)
  • 暂停 (zàntíng) = Temporary Stop (Pause). Implies the action will resume.
  • 停止 (tíngzhǐ) = Permanent Stop (Cease, Terminate). Implies the action is over for good.
  • Correct: 比赛暂停了，因为有球员受伤了。(Bǐsài zàntíng le, yīnwèi yǒu qiúyuán shòushāng le.) - The game paused because a player was injured. (It will resume).
  • Correct: 他心脏停止了跳动。(Tā xīnzàng tíngzhǐ le tiàodòng.) - His heart stopped beating. (A permanent, final stop).
  • Mistake: Saying “我的心暂停了” (wǒ de xīn zàntíng le) to mean your heart stopped. This would comically imply your heart was just taking a short break.
• 暂停 (zàntíng) vs. 休息 (xiūxi)
  • 暂停 (zàntíng) refers to halting a process or activity.
  • 休息 (xiūxi) refers to a person resting.
  • You 暂停 your work in order to 休息.
  • Correct: 我们暂停会议，大家休息十分钟。(Wǒmen zàntíng huìyì, dàjiā xiūxi shí fēnzhōng.) - We will pause the meeting, and everyone can rest for ten minutes.
  • Mistake: Saying “我要暂停一下” (wǒ yào zàntíng yīxià) when you mean “I need to take a rest.” The correct phrase is “我要休息一下” (wǒ yào xiūxi yīxià). You don't “pause yourself,” you “pause an activity.”

• 停止 (tíngzhǐ) - The direct contrast to `暂停`. Means to stop completely, to cease, to terminate.
• 中断 (zhōngduàn) - To interrupt, to cut short. Often implies the stop was caused by an external and unexpected event, like a power outage interrupting a movie.
• 休息 (xiūxi) - To rest. This is what a person does. An activity is `暂停` (paused) so that people can `休息` (rest).
• 推迟 (tuīchí) - To postpone, to delay. This changes the start time of an event to a later date, whereas `暂停` halts an event that has already begun.
• 取消 (qǔxiāo) - To cancel. A final decision to not do something that was planned. If a meeting is `取消`, it's off the calendar. If it's `暂停`, it will resume.
• 等一下 (děng yīxià) - “Wait a moment.” A very common and informal spoken equivalent of asking someone to pause what they are doing or saying.
• 暂时 (zànshí) - (adverb) Temporarily, for the time being. Directly related to the character `暂`, this adverb is often used to describe the state of something that has been paused. (e.g., “服务暂时不可用” - Fúwù zànshí bùkě yòng - Service is temporarily unavailable).
• 中止 (zhōngzhǐ) - To suspend, to discontinue. A more formal term than `暂停`, often used in legal or contractual contexts. It implies a more serious and potentially longer-term suspension.