dan
dan — noun
- dansingular
- dansplural
1. one of the numbered advanced ranks used in judo, karate, and similar martial art
one of the numbered advanced ranks used in judo, karate, and similar martial arts after the beginner grades.
Daichi earned his first dan after six years of judo training.
earn + first/second/third dan
The dojo announced that Nora had passed her test for second dan.
test for + second dan
Only students with third dan could lead the advanced sparring class.
The coach said fifth dan requires steady skill, not flashy tricks.
- kyu
the lower learner grade that comes before dan levels in many martial arts
文法句型
first/second/third dan
earn/reach + dan
用法筆記
Usually follows a number, as in 'first dan' or 'fifth dan'. It refers to the advanced rank itself, not to the belt as a physical object.
2. a person who already holds one of these advanced martial-arts ranks.
a person who already holds one of these advanced martial-arts ranks.
A fifth dan from Osaka judged the black-belt drills today.
a/an + number + dan
Everyone listened when the senior dan corrected their footwork.
senior dan = experienced rank holder
The club invited a third dan to teach the summer seminar.
At sixteen, Marta became the youngest dan in her taekwondo school.
- black belt
the everyday term many learners know first, though it stresses belt level more than the exact numbered rank
- rank holder
plain descriptive phrase for someone who has already earned the rank
- expert
broader word that stresses skill, not membership in a grading system
- beginner
someone still at the early learner stage
- kyu-grade student
learner who has not yet reached dan level
文法句型
a third/fifth dan
senior dan
用法筆記
Often appears with a number or adjective before it, such as 'third dan' or 'senior dan'. In context it means a person who has already reached dan level.