弹 meaning in English
to pluck (a string); to play (a string instrument)
Meaning of 弹
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- 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
- to flip
- to accuse
- crossball
- bullet
- shot
- shell
- ball
How to use 弹
As a verb it is read tán and is most common for playing plucked or keyboard instruments, like 弹钢琴 and 弹吉他. 她每天弹钢琴。(Tā měitiān tán gāngqín.) She plays the piano every day.
弹 has 弓 (gōng, bow) on the left, so picture a bowstring. You pluck a string to play music (tán) or to shoot a pellet (dàn).
Common mistake: Learners often read 子弹 as zǐtán, but in words for ammunition like 子弹 (zǐdàn), 炸弹 (zhàdàn) and 导弹 (dǎodàn) it is dàn. Also, do not use 弹 for wind instruments or drums. You say 吹笛子 (chuī dízi) and 打鼓 (dǎ gǔ).
弹 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
弹 tán · to pluck · 11 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 弹.
Questions about 弹
What does 弹 mean?
弹 (tán) means "to pluck (a string); to play (a string instrument)" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 弹?
弹 is made of 1 character: 弹 (11 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 弹 an HSK word?
Yes. 弹 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 弹 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 弹 is written 彈.
How do I know whether 弹 is read tán or dàn?
If it is an action like plucking, playing, bouncing or springing, it is tán, as in 弹性 (tánxìng) and 反弹 (fǎntán). If it names a projectile such as a bullet, shell or bomb, it is dàn.
Why is 动弹 pronounced dòngtan?
In 动弹 (to budge, to move) the second syllable is read in the neutral tone. It is common in sentences like 他累得动弹不了。(Tā lèi de dòngtan bù liǎo.) He is too tired to move.