弹tánto pluck (a string)
弹 (tán) means "to play" a string or keyboard instrument, or "to pluck" a string. It is the verb used with the piano and the guitar, as in 弹钢琴 (to play the piano). In this reading it can also mean "to spring or leap," but playing an instrument is the everyday use.
What does 弹 mean?
- 1.
to pluck (a string)verb
- 2.
to play (a string instrument)verb
What does the character 弹 mean?
- 弹to pluck (a string)
How do you use 弹?
弹 is used for instruments you pluck or press, like 钢琴; for wind instruments Chinese uses 吹 instead.
Patterns
弹 + instrument
我妹妹每天弹一个小时钢琴。
Wǒ mèimei měi tiān tán yí ge xiǎoshí gāngqín.
My younger sister plays the piano for an hour every day.
What are some examples of 弹 in a sentence?
How is 弹 used in a conversation?
- Speaker A:
谁在弹钢琴？
Shéi zài tán gāngqín?
Who is playing the piano?
- Speaker B:
是我姐姐，她下个月有比赛。
Shì wǒ jiějie, tā xià ge yuè yǒu bǐsài.
It's my older sister; she has a competition next month.
- Speaker A:
她弹得真好听！
Tā tán de zhēn hǎotīng!
She plays beautifully!
- Speaker B:
她已经学了十年了。
Tā yǐjīng xué le shí nián le.
She has been learning for ten years.
What should you learn next?
- Free HSK 3 level testSee which HSK 3.0 level your vocabulary matches.
- HSK 4 word listEvery word at this level, with examples.
- HSK 3.0 guideHow the nine levels and three bands work.
Related words
- 举jǔto liftHSK 4
- 交jiāoto hand over; to deliver; to pay (money); to turn overHSK 4
- 产生chǎn shēngto arise; to come into being; to come aboutHSK 4
- 付fùto payHSK 4
- 伤心shāng xīnto grieveHSK 4
- 估计gū jìto estimate; to assess; to calculateHSK 4
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English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.