Unterbrechen

Unterbrechen is a German verb meaning to interrupt or to break the continuity of something, such as speech, a process, or a sequence. It can refer to halting an activity, interjecting in a conversation, or stopping a flow of events. In technical contexts it is also used for stopping or interrupting a function or signal.

grammatic note: Unterbrechen is a separable-prefix verb. In the present tense the prefix separates: ich unterbreche, du unterbrichst, er unterbricht. The simple past is unterbrach (du unterbrachst, er unterbrach), and the perfect tense uses the participle unterbrochen (ich habe unterbrochen). The related noun is die Unterbrechung, and the adjective form is unterbrochen.

In interpersonal communication, to jemanden zu unterbrechen means to break into another person’s speech. Interruptions can convey emphasis or control but are often perceived as impolite or disruptive, especially in formal or sensitive contexts. polite conduct may involve asking for permission to interrupt or signaling a desire to contribute.

In technology and daily life, the term also appears in contexts such as computing, electronics, and broadcasting. A hardware or software interrupt interrupts a running process to handle a higher-priority task. A power or service interruption refers to a temporary loss of supply, for example eine Stromunterbrechung. In communications, Unterbrechung describes breakpoints in transmissions or data streams.

See also: Unterbrechung (the noun for interruption) and related terms such as Unterbrecher in historical technical usages.