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弹子 (dàn zi) — slingshot pellet; marbles (game or objects); billiards (game)

Definition

弹子 (dànzi) covers three related meanings: a slingshot pellet, the game of marbles, and billiards. In speech it's usually clearer to say 弹珠 (pellet), 弹珠游戏 (marbles), or 台球 (billiards).

noun
slingshot pelletmarbles (game or objects)billiards (game)
Measure word · 粒

Examples

  • 弹子。
    Tā xiǎo shí hou xǐ huan yòng dàn zi dǎ píng zi.
    He liked to shoot bottles with slingshot pellets as a child.
  • 弹子。
    Hái zi men zài yuàn zi lǐ wán dàn zi.
    The children are playing marbles in the yard.
  • 弹子，。
    Tā zhōu mò cháng qù jù lè bù dǎ dàn zi, nà shì tā zuì xǐ huan de yùn dòng.
    He often goes to the club to play billiards on weekends; that's his favorite sport.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

弹tánpellet
子zǐcommon ending

弹 gives the idea of a pellet, and 子 turns it into a common name for small round objects.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōng
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.

Open 弹 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
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