弹药 (dàn yào) — ammunition | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

ammunition

弹药。
Qián xiàn bù duì zuì xū yào de jiù shì zú gòu de dàn yào.
What the frontline troops need most is enough ammunition.
弹药。
Tā men zài cāng kù lǐ chǔ bèi le dà liàng dàn yào.
They stored a large amount of ammunition in the warehouse.
弹药。
Zhè cì zhàn dòu xiāo hào de dàn yào bǐ yù xiǎng de duō.
The ammunition consumed in this battle was more than expected.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

弹tánprojectile

“弹” refers to projectiles and “药” to powder or propellant, so together they mean ammunition.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

弓單彈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

單

單dān彈tán

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 藥; 药 is its simplified writing.

艹樂藥

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

樂

樂lè藥yào

Same sound today

In the traditional form 藥, 艹 shows grass and 樂 gives the sound; this story is about 藥, not about the simplified 药.

Appears in