遮断

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 遮断, read しゃだん, means blocking or cutting off a flow or passage.
• Basic usage: Use 遮断する for preventing electricity, sound, or similar things from passing through.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Active and passive
  • 電気が一時的に遮断された is passive: the electricity was temporarily cut off.
  • 音をほぼ遮断している means blocking almost all sound. Dropping ほぼ would incorrectly turn this into complete blockage.
• Blocking versus severing
  • 切断 focuses on cutting or severing an object, while 遮断 focuses on stopping a flow. A power cutoff does not necessarily mean a wire was cut.