Meaning of 段
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- paragraph
- section
- segment
- stage (of a process)
- classifier for stories, periods of time, lengths of thread etc
- surname Duan
How to use 段
段 is mostly used as a measure word for things that come in stretches: a period of time, a section of road, a piece of text or music, a relationship. It also appears in words like 阶段 (jiēduàn, stage) and 手段 (shǒuduàn, means). Example: 这段时间我很忙。(Zhè duàn shíjiān wǒ hěn máng.) I have been very busy during this period.
The right side of 段 (duàn) is 殳 (shū), a hand holding a tool for striking. Picture someone hitting a long stick so it breaks into separate pieces, and each piece is one 段, a segment or section.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 段 (duàn) with 断 (duàn, to break), since they share the same sound and a related idea. 段 names the piece, as in 一段路 (yí duàn lù, a stretch of road), while 断 is the action of breaking, as in 绳子断了 (shéngzi duàn le, the rope broke).
段 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
段 duàn · paragraph · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 段.
| 阶段 | jiēduàn | stage; section |
| 手段 | shǒuduàn | method; way; means (of doing sth); skill; ability |
| 片段 | piànduàn | fragment (of speech etc); extract (from book etc) |
| 时段 | shíduàn | time interval; work shift |
| 地段 | dìduàn | section; district |
| 段落 | duànluò | phase; time interval |
| 路段 | lùduàn | stretch of road; section of a highway or railway |
| 不择手段 | bùzéshǒuduàn | by fair means or foul; by hook or by crook |
| 赛段 | sàiduàn | stage of a competition |
| 告一段落 | gàoyīduànluò | to come to the end of a phase (idiom) |
| 段子 | duànzi | item of storytelling or performed dialogue (folk arts); sketch |
| 碎尸万段 | suìshīwànduàn | (idiom) to cut up sb's body into thousands of pieces (a hyperbolic threat) |
Questions about 段
What does 段 mean?
段 (duàn) means "paragraph; section" and is used as a measure word.
How do you write 段?
段 is made of 1 character: 段 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 段 an HSK word?
Yes. 段 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 一段 and 一节 for a section?
段 is used for continuous stretches without fixed borders, like a stretch of time, road, or a passage of text. 节 (jié) is used for sections divided by natural or set breaks, like a class period 一节课 (yì jié kè) or a joint of bamboo.
Can 段 be used for a relationship or an experience?
Yes. Chinese treats these as stretches of time, so you can say 一段感情 (yí duàn gǎnqíng, a relationship) or 一段经历 (yí duàn jīnglì, an experience). This is very common in both speech and writing.