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彈指

简弹指 · 繁彈指

Mandarin · pinyin tán zhǐ

to snap one's fingers
(fig.) in a flash; in an instant

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Characters in this entry

彈: Look up this written character
指: zhǐ · finger, toe; point, indicate
弹: dàn · pellet, bullet, shot, shell

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–3 · tan2 zhi3

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 3 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

adv

(figurative) in the blink of an eye; in a flash

noun

(obsolete, Buddhism, archaic) small unit of time (depending on source, either 7.2 or 0.25 seconds long)
(obsolete) designation for 10⁻¹⁷

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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