Skip to content
Kotomora

彈

bullet, twang, flip, snap

StatusJinmeiyō (variant)Strokes15

Readings

On'yomi

  • ダン
  • タン

Kun'yomi

  • ひ.く
  • はず.む
  • たま
  • はじ.く
  • はじ.ける
  • ただ.す

Meaning

彈 centers on a sudden, forceful release of tension: a projectile like a bullet, or a sharp motion like a twang, flip, or snap. The meanings all share the idea of something being propelled or flicked out from a taut state.

Study

Etymology

彈 combines 弓 (bow) with 單, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of a single projectile. The character originally referred to shooting a pellet from a bow, hence the bullet and snapping senses.

Meaning mnemonic

A bow 弓 on the left and a complex shape 單 on the right: imagine pulling back a bowstring and releasing a single pellet with a sharp twang.

Reading mnemonic

For ダン, picture a bullet fired from a bow with a loud 'dan!' sound: dan -> ダン, like the crack of a snap.