岔
branch; deviate; divert; trouble
Meanings
6 senses · 29 examplesnoun
branch (of road, etc.)
Used to describe a separate path that splits off a main road.
There's a fork in the road ahead, which way should we go?
This three-way intersection often gets congested.
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We stopped the car at the fork to rest for ten minutes.
This branch road leads to the viewing platform on the back hill.
The driver accidentally took the wrong turn at the fork.
verb
deviate from course; turn aside
Describes a vehicle or person veering off the intended path.
The driver didn't notice the turn and veered onto a side road.
Don't veer onto the sidewalk while riding your bike.
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He got distracted and drove his car onto the roadside grass.
The coach almost veered off the highway during the sharp turn.
He veered into the emergency lane to avoid a wild cat.
verb
divert (conversation)
Commonly used in fixed phrases like 打岔 to interrupt or shift the topic of conversation.
He intentionally diverted the conversation to stop us from discussing sensitive topics.
He used a joke to break the awkward silence and shift the conversation.
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Don't interrupt, let me finish what I'm saying.
Every time she's asked about her income, she shifts the topic.
The child suddenly interrupted and asked when we would go to the park.
verb
stagger; offset; avoid conflict
Used to describe arranging two or more events to happen at different times so they do not overlap.
We need to stagger the times of these two meetings so everyone can make it to both.
Parents usually stagger their kids' after-school activities so they can attend all of them.
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These two classes overlap, I can't take both at the same time.
The company had employees stagger their lunch breaks to reduce lines at the cafeteria.
noun
trouble; accident; mishap
informalOften used in the colloquial fixed phrase 出岔儿 to refer to an unexpected problem or mistake.
This project went off without a hitch, thanks to everyone's careful preparation.
There was a small hiccup before the plane took off, and it was delayed by half an hour.
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Be sure to check your car before driving, so you don't run into trouble halfway.
Plans don't survive contact with the enemy, sure enough something went wrong at the last minute.
This old machine always malfunctions, we need to get someone to fix it.
verb
crack (voice); break (sound)
dialectA regional dialect term, mainly used to describe a person's voice cracking due to strong emotion.
She got more and more upset as she spoke, and her voice cracked with emotion.
He was so excited that his voice cracked, and he couldn't speak clearly.
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She cried and shouted for half an hour, and her voice was completely hoarse and cracked.
The singer accidentally cracked his voice while hitting a high note.
He was so nervous that his voice cracked while speaking.