taan4彈弹
Jyutpingtaan4
Yaletàahn
Definition
To play a stringed or keyboard musical instrument.
colloquialother
How it's used
Use this verb specifically for instruments that require plucking, striking, or pressing keys, such as guitars, pianos, or harps. It does not apply to wind or percussion instruments, which require different verbs like 吹 for wind instruments or 打 for drums.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using 彈 for instruments that are blown, like a flute or saxophone, as that would be 吹. Also, do not confuse it with the homograph 彈 meaning to bounce or flick, which is common in casual speech.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
