子弹

• Pinyin: zǐ dàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 子 = pictograph of a child; 弹 = 弓 (bow) + 单 (single) — projectile

Meaning

Bullet. A projectile fired from a gun, consisting of a metal casing containing explosive and a projectile tip.

Used in military, police, hunting, and action movie contexts. Also used metaphorically in expressions like 让子弹飞一会儿 (let the bullet fly for a while — wait and see how things develop).

Examples

1. 警察的枪里还剩几发子弹。 The police officer had a few bullets left in the gun.
2. 电影里的枪战场面消耗了上千发子弹。 The gunfight scenes in the movie used thousands of bullets.
3. 士兵检查了弹匣里的子弹数量。 The soldier checked the number of bullets in the magazine.

Usage Guide

Context: military, police, movies

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 他中了一颗子弹，被紧急送往医院。(He was hit by a bullet and rushed to the hospital.)
• 这把枪的弹匣可以装十五发子弹。(This gun's magazine can hold fifteen bullets.)

Don't Say

• 说'子弹很贵'作为日常抱怨 (Using 子弹 in casual conversation may sound odd — in civilian life, most people don't discuss bullet prices)

Origin & History

子 (small object, offspring) + 弹 (projectile, ball). Literally 'small projectile.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal