弹 meaning and stroke order
To pluck (a string); to play (a string instrument); to spring or leap
How to write 弹, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 弹
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to pluck (a string)
- to play (a string instrument)
- to spring or leap
- to shoot (e.g. with a catapult)
- (of cotton) to fluff or tease
- to flick
- crossball
- bullet
- shot
- shell
- ball
How 弹 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Bow.
弓 gives the meaning and 单 hints at the sound.
Radical: 弓 (bow), shared by 29 characters on this site.
How to remember 弹
弹 is pictophonetic: 弓 (gōng, bow) gives the meaning and 单 (dān) hints at the sound. Picture a bow that snaps back to launch a pellet, which covers both the springing action (tán) and the ball it shoots (dàn).
Read it tán for actions like plucking strings, bouncing, or flicking, as in 弹钢琴 (tán gāngqín, play the piano). Read it dàn for projectiles, as in 子弹 (zǐdàn, bullet) and 炸弹 (zhàdàn, bomb). Example: 她每天弹吉他。(Tā měitiān tán jítā.) She plays the guitar every day.
Common mistake: Learners often read 弹性 as dànxìng, but it is tánxìng, because elasticity is about springing back. A useful rule is that verbs and springiness take tán, while things you fire take dàn.
Common words with 弹
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 子弹 | zǐdàn | bullet | HSK 5 |
| 炸弹 | zhàdàn | bomb | HSK 6 |
| 导弹 | dǎodàn | (guided) missile | HSK 7-9 |
| 弹性 | tánxìng | flexibility; elasticity | HSK 7-9 |
| 反弹 | fǎntán | to bounce; to bounce back | HSK 7-9 |
| 动弹 | dòngtan | to budge | HSK 7-9 |
| 弹药 | dànyào | ammunition | |
| 核弹 | hédàn | nuclear bomb | |
| 手榴弹 | shǒuliúdàn | hand grenade | |
| 炮弹 | pàodàn | artillery shell | |
| 中弹 | zhòngdàn | to get hit by a bullet; to get shot | |
| 原子弹 | yuánzǐdàn | atomic bomb; A-bomb | |
| 飞弹 | fēidàn | (Tw) missile; stray bullet | |
| 弹头 | dàntóu | warhead |
弹 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 弹
How many strokes are in 弹?
弹 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 弹 mean?
弹 (tán) means to pluck (a string); to play (a string instrument); to spring or leap. A common word with it is 子弹 (zǐdàn), meaning "bullet".
How do you pronounce 弹?
弹 has more than one reading: tán and dàn. The most common is tán, said in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 弹?
The radical of 弹 is 弓, which carries the idea of "bow". Dictionaries list 弹 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 弹?
The traditional form of 弹 is 彈. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 弹 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 弹 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 弹 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Do you use 弹 or 打 for playing an instrument in Chinese?
Use 弹 (tán) for instruments you pluck or press with your fingers, like 弹钢琴 or 弹吉他. Drums take 打 (dǎ), as in 打鼓, and wind instruments take 吹 (chuī), as in 吹笛子.
How is 弹 pronounced in 动弹?
In 动弹 (dòngtan, to budge) it is read tan with a neutral tone. It is usually used in the negative, as in 动弹不得 (dòngtan bù dé, unable to move).