彈 meaning and stroke order
Bullet, pellet, shell; elastic, springy
How to write 彈, stroke by stroke
15 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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- 15
Meaning of 彈
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- crossball
- bullet
- shot
- shell
- ball
- 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
How 彈 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Bow.
弓 gives the meaning and 單 hints at the sound.
Radical: 弓 (bow), shared by 29 characters on this site.
How to remember 彈
彈 has a bow 弓 (gōng) on the left for meaning and 單 (dān) on the right for sound. Picture a bow that launches a pellet, and a bowstring that snaps back and springs.
Read dàn, it means a projectile, as in 子弹 (zǐdàn) bullet and 炸弹 (zhàdàn) bomb. Read tán, it means to spring, flick, or play a string instrument, as in 弹性 (tánxìng) elasticity. Example: 她会弹钢琴。(Tā huì tán gāngqín.) She can play the piano.
Common mistake: Learners often read 弹钢琴 as dàn gāngqín. Playing an instrument and anything springy is always tán, and only projectiles are dàn. Also do not mix up the right side 單 with 单, which is the simplified form used in 弹.
Common words with 彈
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 子彈 | zǐdàn | bullet | HSK 5 |
| 炸彈 | zhàdàn | bomb | HSK 6 |
| 導彈 | dǎodàn | (guided) missile | HSK 7-9 |
| 彈性 | tánxìng | flexibility; elasticity | HSK 7-9 |
| 反彈 | fǎntán | to bounce; to bounce back | HSK 7-9 |
| 動彈 | dòngtan | to budge | HSK 7-9 |
| 彈藥 | dànyào | ammunition | |
| 核彈 | hédàn | nuclear bomb | |
| 手榴彈 | shǒuliúdàn | hand grenade | |
| 炮彈 | pàodàn | artillery shell | |
| 中彈 | zhòngdàn | to get hit by a bullet; to get shot | |
| 原子彈 | yuánzǐdàn | atomic bomb; A-bomb | |
| 飛彈 | fēidàn | (Tw) missile; stray bullet | |
| 彈頭 | dàntóu | warhead |
Questions about 彈
How many strokes are in 彈?
彈 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 彈 mean?
彈 (dàn) means bullet, pellet, shell; elastic, springy. A common word with it is 子弹 (zǐdàn), meaning "bullet".
How do you pronounce 彈?
彈 is pronounced dàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 彈?
The radical of 彈 is 弓, which carries the idea of "bow". Dictionaries list 彈 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 彈?
彈 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 弹, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How do I know whether 彈 is read dàn or tán?
Ask whether it is a thing or an action. Bullets, shells and bombs are nouns read dàn, like 导弹 (dǎodàn) missile. Springing, plucking and flicking are verbs read tán, like 反弹 (fǎntán) to bounce back.
Why is 动弹 pronounced dòngtan?
In 动弹 (dòngtan) to budge, the second syllable is said in the neutral tone. It is commonly used in the negative, as in 动弹不得 (dòngtan bù dé) unable to move.