TSUMUGU · TOCFL 4 (est.) · 詞
階段
ㄐㄧㄝ ㄉㄨㄢˋ · jiēduàn
noun — stage; phase; step (in a process)
字源 FORM — what the parts do
階steps, a flight of stairs (階梯的階)jiē阝 (阜: earthen mound with terraced steps) + 皆 (phonetic jiē) — a terraced mound; levels ascending one by one
段section, segment (段落的段)duàn殳 (pestle/striking tool) + 㡭 (a mass being struck) — a length worked out by striking; one measured piece
階段，階梯的階，段落的段。
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
土丘（階：阝）一級一級（皆）往上；殳（段：殳）鑿出一截一截（㡭）——每一段都是一個台階。
The earthen mound (阝 in 階) stepped level by level (皆 phonetic); the striking tool (殳 in 段) cutting out one worked section (㡭) at a time — each 段 is one step of the staircase.
字源記憶法