Meaning of 不停
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- incessant
How to use 不停
不停 usually goes before a verb, often with 地 (de), to show an action keeps going without a break. 雨下个不停 is also a common pattern. Example: 他不停地说话。(Tā bù tíng de shuōhuà.) He keeps talking nonstop.
不 (bù) means not, and 停 (tíng) means to stop, so 不停 is simply not stopping. Picture a person 亻 at the left of 停 who never pauses to rest.
Common mistake: Learners often say 不停 with bù in the second tone (bú) by mistake. The tone change to bú only happens before a fourth tone, and 停 is second tone, so it stays bù tíng. Also do not confuse 停 (tíng, stop) with 亭 (tíng, pavilion), which has no person radical.
不停 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
不 bù · no · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
停 tíng · to stop · 11 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Related words
Words that share a character with 不停.
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint |
| 是不是 | shì bu shì | is or is not (used to form yes-no questions) |
| 不用 | bùyòng | need not |
| 不大 | bù dà | not very (clear, far away etc); not too; not often; infrequently |
| 不对 | bùduì | incorrect; wrong |
| 不客气 | bù kèqì | you're welcome; don't mention it |
| 不要 | bùyào | don't!; must not |
| 不过 | bùguò | only; merely |
| 不错 | bùcuò | correct; right |
| 不行 | bùxíng | won't do; be out of the question |
| 不同 | bù tóng | different; distinct |
| 不好意思 | bù hǎoyìsi | to feel embarrassed; to find it embarrassing |
Questions about 不停
What does 不停 mean?
不停 (bù tíng) means "incessant".
How do you write 不停?
不停 is made of 2 characters: 不 (4 strokes), 停 (11 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 不停 an HSK word?
Yes. 不停 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 不停 and 一直?
Both can mean continuously, but 不停 stresses that the action is repeated or never pauses, often with some annoyance. 一直 (yìzhí) just means all along or the whole time, and it can also describe states, like 一直很忙.
How do I use the pattern V个不停?
Put a verb before 个不停 to say something goes on and on, for example 孩子哭个不停 (háizi kū ge bù tíng), the child won't stop crying. This pattern comes at the end of the sentence and sounds lively and spoken.