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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "staircase" in Japanese?
階段
kaidan
In Japanese, "staircase" is 階段 (kaidan).
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Pronunciation
Kaidan has a diphthong start, 'kai' like English 'kite' without the t, then 'dan', said 'KAI-dan'.
Writing and usage
階段 is written using kanji. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
彼女は木製の階段を登った。
kanojo ha mokusei no kaidan wo nobotsu ta.
She climbed the wooden staircase.
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How to remember 階段
Kaidan sounds like 'kite, don' -- imagine a kite gliding step by step down a staircase.
Related words
- mattress マットレス mattoresu
- pillow 枕 makura
- sheet シーツ shiitsu
- curtain カーテン kaaten
- rug ラグ ragu
- wardrobe クローゼット kuroozetto
- closet クローゼット kuroozetto
- faucet 蛇口 jaguchi
- sink シンク shinku
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 階段
How do you pronounce 階段?
Kaidan has a diphthong start, 'kai' like English 'kite' without the t, then 'dan', said 'KAI-dan'.
Is 階段 formal or casual?
階段 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is 階段 written in Japanese?
階段 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as kaidan.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Staircase" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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