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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "to play (the drums)" in Chinese?
弹奏
tán zòu
In Chinese, "to play (the drums)" is 弹奏.
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Pronunciation
Say TAN (rising tone) then ZOH (falling tone). First syllable rises, second drops sharply.
Writing and usage
Two characters combine. 弹 has eleven strokes with a hand radical and means to pluck or strike strings. 奏 has nine strokes, meaning to play music.
Example sentence
他弹奏鼓。
He plays the drums.
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How to remember 弹奏
The hand radical in 弹 shows manual playing of an instrument. Together these characters mean to perform music on an instrument.
Related words
- ask 问 wèn
- to be 在 zài
- blossom 开花 kāi huā
- clear up 清理 qīng lǐ
- close 关上 guān shàng
- drink 喝 hē
- exercise 锻炼 duàn liàn
- line up 排队 pái duì
- wake up 醒 xǐng
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 弹奏
How do you say "to play (the drums)" in Chinese?
In Chinese, "to play (the drums)" is 弹奏. It is a noun.
How is 弹奏 written in Chinese?
Two characters combine. 弹 has eleven strokes with a hand radical and means to pluck or strike strings. 奏 has nine strokes, meaning to play music.
How is 弹奏 used in a sentence?
Use 弹奏 as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: 他弹奏鼓。 (He plays the drums.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
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"To play (the drums)" in other languages
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