弹 (tán) — to play (a stringed or keyboard instrument) by pressing or plucking; to flick; to bounce; to spring
Definition
At HSK 4, 弹 (tán) is the everyday verb for playing a stringed/keyboard instrument (弹钢琴) and for flicking/launching a small object (弹纸团). The bouncing sense (球弹到了墙上) is usually rendered as 蹦 or 跳 in simpler text.
verb
to play (a stringed or keyboard instrument) by pressing or pluckingto flickto bounceto spring
Examples
- 弹。Tā měi tiān tán yí gè xiǎo shí de gāng qín.He plays the piano for an hour every day.
- 弹，。Tā tán le yí xià zhǐ, zhǐ fēi chū qù le.He flicked the paper and it flew off.
- 弹。Qiú tán dào le qiáng shàng.The ball bounced off the wall.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
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.
Appears in
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