弾
Meanings
Noun
1. ball; sphere; globe; orb
2. bead (of sweat, dew, etc.); drop; droplet
3. ball (in sports); pitch (e.g. in baseball) (esp. 球)
4. pile (of noodles, etc.)
5. bullet (esp. 弾)
6. bulb (i.e. a light bulb) (esp. 球)
7. lens (of glasses, etc.)
8. bead (of an abacus) (esp. 玉, 珠)
10. gem; jewel (esp. spherical; sometimes used figuratively); pearl (esp. 玉, 珠; also written as 璧)
11. female entertainer (e.g. a geisha)
13. item, funds or person used as part of a plot
Suffix
14. coin (usu. だま)
15. precious; beautiful; excellent
Other spellings
玉球珠たま
Kanji used
Kanji in other spellings
Pitch accent
たま
Used in vocabulary
Examples34
ニッケル は5 セント 玉 です。
A nickel is a five-cent coin.
彼の 額 には 玉 の ような 汗 が 浮かんでいた。
There were beads of sweat on his forehead.
こいつ が そんな 玉 じゃない こと なんて とうの昔 に 解っていた から さ。
That's because, you see, I've known he isn't that sort of person from a long time back.
弾 が 彼の 頬 を かすめた。
The bullet grazed his cheek.
艱難 汝 を 玉 に す。
Adversity makes a man wise, not rich.
銃 には たま が 入ってなかった。
The gun was out of shot.