This is the 3035th most frequent Russian word.
занял
"Took" or "occupied" (past tense, masculine form).
Here, 'занял' refers to occupying or taking a physical place.
Я занял место в первых рядах.
I took a seat in the first rows.
In this context, 'занял' means borrowing something, typically money, from someone else.
Он занял деньги у соседа.
He borrowed money from a neighbor.
Here, 'занял' illustrates achieving or taking a position in a ranking or competition.