五段(ごだん)

ごだん
noun
fifth dan (rank); godan verb (Japanese grammar)
academiclanguage
1. fifth dan; rank of 5th degree
The fifth grade in the 段(だん) ranking system used in martial arts, board games like 碁(ご) (Go) and 将棋(しょうぎ) (shogi), and traditional arts.
柔道(じゅうどう)五段(ごだん)の先生(せんせい)に習(なら)った。
I trained under a fifth-dan judo instructor.
父(ちち)は書道(しょどう)で五段(ごだん)を取得(しゅとく)した。
My father obtained the fifth dan in calligraphy.
剣道(けんどう)の五段(ごだん)昇段(しょうだん)審査(しんさ)は、技術(ぎじゅつ)だけでなく人格(じんかく)も問(と)われる。
The fifth-dan promotion exam in kendo evaluates not only technique but also character.
2. godan verb; consonant-stem verb (grammar)
In Japanese grammar, a class of verbs whose endings shift across all five rows of the 五十音(ごじゅうおん) table when conjugated. Examples include 書(か)く, 読(よ)む, and 話(はな)す.
「書(か)く」は五段(ごだん)動詞(どうし)だ。
"Kaku" is a godan verb.
五段(ごだん)動詞(どうし)は活用(かつよう)が多(おお)くて覚(おぼ)えにくい。
Godan verbs are hard to memorize because they have many conjugations.
五段(ごだん)動詞(どうし)と一段(いちだん)動詞(どうし)の違(ちが)いを理解(りかい)することが、日本語(にほんご)文法(ぶんぽう)の基礎(きそ)だ。
Understanding the difference between godan and ichidan verbs is fundamental to Japanese grammar.

Composed of 五(ご) (five) + 段(だん) (step, grade, rank).

MEANING 1 — MARTIAL ARTS/GAMES RANKING:

In most disciplines the dan ranks run from 1 (初段(しょだん)) up to 10 (十段(じゅうだん)), with 五段(ごだん) representing a senior practitioner.

MEANING 2 — GRAMMAR:

Named because the verb stem's final consonant takes vowels from all five rows (あいうえお) of the 五十音(ごじゅうおん) table during conjugation. Contrast with 一段(いちだん)動詞(どうし) (ichidan verbs), whose stems stay on a single row.

general
Added 2026.5.28 12:07 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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