This is the 7740th most frequent French word.
step
The French word for "step" is "étape," meaning a stage, phase, or step in a process.
The term 'marche' here represents the individual steps or treads of a staircase.
Je descends l'escalier avec précaution, marche par marche.
I go down the stairs carefully, step by step.
Here, 'pas' is used to signify a physical or metaphorical step as a movement or progression.
Je fais un pas vers l'objectif.
I take a step toward the goal.
In this context, 'étape' refers to a stage or phase in a process or sequence.