Meaning and Usage
「とぎれる」 means "to pause" or "to be interrupted," often referring to something that stops temporarily or breaks off unexpectedly. It is commonly used for conversations, sounds, signals, or any continuous action that suddenly stops or becomes intermittent.
Common Contexts
You will often hear it describing conversations that stop suddenly, phone signals that cut in and out, or any situation where continuity is lost. It can describe both physical interruptions and abstract breaks in flow.
Collocations and Patterns
- とぎれる会話: conversation that pauses or breaks off
- とぎれとぎれに聞こえる: to sound intermittent or broken
- 途中でとぎれる: to be interrupted halfway
These patterns help express the idea of something that was continuous but then stopped or became irregular.
Register and Nuance
This verb is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. It often implies an unexpected or unwanted interruption.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse とぎれる with とまる (to stop completely). とぎれる implies a temporary or partial interruption, not a full stop. For example, a conversation that pauses briefly is とぎれる, but if it ends completely, とまる or 終わる would be more appropriate.