时断时续 intermittent
Explanation
形容动作或状态时而中断，时而继续。
Describes an action or state that is interrupted and then continued from time to time.
Origin Story
小明学习弹钢琴，起初兴致勃勃，每天都坚持练习。但是一段时间后，他感到枯燥乏味，练习就变得时断时续。有时几天都碰也不碰钢琴，有时兴致来了，又会练上几个小时。这样反复无常的练习，他的钢琴水平提高得很慢，常常让老师感到惋惜。
Xiaoming was learning to play the piano and initially he was very enthusiastic, practicing every day. But after a while, he found it boring, so his practice became intermittent. Sometimes he would not touch the piano for days, sometimes when he felt like it, he would practice for several hours. With such irregular practice, his piano skills improved slowly, always to the regret of his teacher.
Usage
多用于形容学习、工作等方面的状态；可作谓语、定语。
It is often used to describe the state of learning, work, etc.; it can be used as a predicate and an attribute.
Examples
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他学习绘画时断时续，所以进步不大。
ta xuexi huihua shiduan shixu,suoyi jinbu bude.
His painting studies were intermittent, so he didn't make much progress.
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网络信号时断时续，视频会议无法正常进行。
wangluo xinhao shiduan shixu,shipin huiyi wufan zhengchang jinxing.
The network signal was intermittent, and the video conference could not proceed normally.