The kanji 弾 has the core meaning of "to shoot," "to flick," or "to bounce." It often relates to projectiles, impacts, or things being propelled. It can also imply a sense of impact, force, or a sudden burst of something.

・On-yomi (音読み): ・ダン (dan) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ・たま (tama) – meaning "bullet," "shot," or "projectile" ・はじ（く） (haji(ku)) – meaning "to flick" or "to bounce"

⚫︎弾丸 Translation: bullet ⚫︎爆弾 Translation: bomb ⚫︎弾む Translation: to bounce; to be lively; to be excited

The kanji 弾 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいもじ). ・The semantic component is 弓 (kyū), meaning "bow." This hints at the concept of propelling something. ・The phonetic component is 単 (tan), which contributes the sound (dan) and suggests the idea of a single shot or a distinct action. Together, they suggest the idea of shooting an arrow from a bow, evolving to encompass the broader concept of launching or propelling something.