挂断
guàduàn
To hang up in Chinese is to say 挂断 (guàduàn). Wiktionary also lists 掛斷 / 挂断 (guàduàn).
Meaning: terminate a phone call (verb)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 挂断 | guàduàn |
| 掛斷 / 挂断 | guàduàn |
The term is used to describe the action of terminating a telephone call.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb 挂断 is composed of 挂, meaning to hang and 断, meaning to break or disconnect.
Which one should you use?
While 挂断 is the standard term for terminating a call, the more colloquial way to express this action is to say 挂电话.
How does it change in a sentence?
In colloquial settings, it is very common to use the single syllable 挂 followed by the aspect particle 了 to say that someone hung up, resulting in 挂了.
How do you pronounce it?
guàduàn
Did you know?
- If you say 挂了 in a very casual setting, you might accidentally say 'I died' instead of 'I hung up', as 挂了 is common slang for passing away.
- The verb 挂 meaning 'to hang' is also used in gaming to describe 'AFK' or staying logged into a game while away from the keyboard to farm resources.
- The term 挂 is also used to describe 'cheating' in video games by using third-party software, referred to as 外挂.
Examples in context
- 等一下，我马上就回来。不要挂断电话！Hold on a second, I'll be right back. Don't hang up!This sentence is useful for learning how to use the form 挂断 when telling someone not to end the call.Tatoeba #733622 by mcq, translation #39975 by mcq
- 请挂断电话。(Qǐng guà duàn diànhuà.)Please hang up the phone.
- 请结束通话。(Qǐng jiéshù tōnghuà.)Please end the call.
- 我得挂掉电话了。(Wǒ děi guà diào diànhuà le.)I have to hang up the phone.
- 嗨，我有点忙。我得挂了。(Hāi, wǒ yǒu diǎn máng. Wǒ děi guà le.)Hey, I'm a bit busy. I gotta hang up.
- 他突然挂断了电话。Tā tūrán guàduàn le diànhuà.He suddenly hung up the phone.
- 请不要挂断，我还有话要说。Qǐng bùyào guàduàn, wǒ hái yǒu huà yào shuō.Please don't hang up, I still have something to say.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking on the phone when the signal becomes poor.
- 梓涵 Zihan伟，你的声音很奇怪，听不清。Wěi, nǐ de shēngyīn hěn qíguài, tīng bù qīng.Wei, your voice sounds strange, I can't hear you clearly.
- 伟 Wei我也听不到你，信号太差了。Wǒ yě tīng bù dào nǐ, xìnhào tài chà le.I can't hear you either, the signal is too poor.
- 梓涵 Zihan那我们先挂断，等会儿再打。Nà wǒmen xiān guàduàn, děng huǐr zài dǎ.Then let's hang up first and call again later.
- 伟 Wei好的，梓涵，回头见。Hǎo de, Zǐhán, huítóu jiàn.Okay, Zihan, see you later.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hang up” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
