The word **停顿** is a compound word formed by combining two characters with closely related meanings to create a more specific or nuanced concept. The first character, **停 (tíng)**, primarily means "to stop" or "to halt," while the second character, **顿 (dùn)**, carries the meaning of "to pause," "to interrupt," or "to stall." When combined, they reinforce each other to form a single term that specifically denotes a **pause or a break in an action, speech, or process**, emphasizing the temporary nature of the cessation rather than a permanent stop. This method of word formation, where synonymous or semantically linked characters are paired, is common in Chinese to create precise vocabulary.