暂停 (zàn tíng) is a verb meaning 'to suspend temporarily' or 'to pause'. It combines two characters: 暂 (zàn), meaning 'for the time being' or 'temporarily', and 停 (tíng), meaning 'to stop' or 'to halt'. Together, they emphasize a brief, intentional interruption—not a permanent end. The word implies that the activity will resume later, often after a short break or due to an external need.

This term is widely used in daily life: pausing a video or music player, halting a meeting for clarification, suspending a process at work, or even asking someone to briefly stop speaking. It carries a neutral-to-formal tone and is common in both spoken and written Chinese—especially in digital interfaces (e.g., '暂停键'), instructions, and professional communication. Unlike the more casual 休息 (xiūxi), which means 'to rest', 暂停 specifically signals a controlled, momentary stop of an ongoing action.