段 means “step, grade”

だん · dan

Also: steps, stairs

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ダン, タン

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 6 · 9 strokes

The story

Picture a hand with a mallet (殳) chipping steps into stone, one block at a time. 階段 is a staircase, 値段 a price, 普段 everyday life, and 段 is also the rank of a black belt, starting from 初段.

Used in 階段 (kaidan, stairs), 値段 (nedan, price), and 普段 (fudan, usually/everyday)

More from Victory & Defeat

• 敗 defeat
• 突 thrust
• 破 tear
• 抜 pull out
• 努 effort
• 倒 fall
• 戦 fight
• 勝 win
• 打 hit
• 争 compete
• 位 rank
• 格 status

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.