段 (duàn) — (classifier) used for sections of time, text, road, or stages of a process; segment, paragraph, stretch
Definition
A measure word for stretches or sections — a stretch of road, a passage of speech, a period of time. Unlike 节 (which counts lessons or train cars), 段 fits a continuous span of time, distance, or talk.
classifier
used for sections of timetextroador stages of a processsegmentparagraphstretch
Easily confused
Examples
- 段。Wǒ kàn le yí duàn yǒu qù de diàn yǐng.I watched an interesting movie (segment).
- 段。Mā ma shuō le yí dà duàn huà.Mom said a long passage of words.
- 段。Tā pǎo le yí duàn lù.He ran a stretch of road.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
殳殳shū
Sound part声符shēngfú
厂
厂chǎng段duàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
段's shape shows 殳 as a hammer breaking a stone, with fragments flying off.
Appears in
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