Mandarin Chinese reference
弹
tán
to play (a keyboard or plucked string instrument); to flick
Verb pattern · 10 form tables
Mandarin verbs do not change for tense. These tables show aspect, negation, questions and sentence patterns. Short phrases omit the subject; full examples retain theirs.
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Aspect
Plain statement
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | tánplay (a keyboard or plucked string instrument) |
Completed action
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | tán leplayed (a keyboard or plucked string instrument) |
Experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | tán guohave played (a keyboard or plucked string instrument) before |
In progress
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | zài tánbe playing (a keyboard or plucked string instrument) |
Future
About to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | yào tán lebe about to play (a keyboard or plucked string instrument) |
Will / can
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | huì tánwill play (a keyboard or plucked string instrument) |
Negative
Not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | bù tándo not play (a keyboard or plucked string instrument) |
Did not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | méi tándid not play (a keyboard or plucked string instrument) |
Questions
Yes no question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | tán ma?do you play (a keyboard or plucked string instrument)? |
A not A question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | tán bu tán?do you play (a keyboard or plucked string instrument)? |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Mandarin Chinese entries.