How to Write 段 (duàn) — Meaning “paragraph; segment; section”

Imagine a block of wood (㐭) being struck by a chisel (殳) to split it into segments. The picture of a tool hitting a block helps you remember that 段 means a 'segment' or 'section'.

Pay attention to the left side: it is not the person radical 亻, but a shape with two vertical lines connected by a horizontal stroke. Common mistake is writing it like 亻. Also, the right side 殳 has several turns; make sure the final stroke is a right-falling diagonal (捺).

段 has a left part that looks like stacked squares (㐭), while 殴 has a left part 区 (like an open box), and 殷 has a left part 㐆 (like a curve). Their meanings differ: 段 is for segments, 殴 means to beat, and 殷 means abundant or dark red.

段 is used for paragraphs in writing (一段话), stages in a process (阶段), and sections of a road or time (路段, 时段). It's also in 手段 meaning 'method' or 'tactic'. It's a common character for breaking things into parts.

Common words containing 段 include: 一段话 (yī duàn huà) — a passage; a paragraph; 阶段 (jiē duàn) — stage; phase; period; 段落 (duàn luò) — paragraph; phase; stage.