弾

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 弾 is a noun read たま, referring to a bullet or an individual round of ammunition fired from a gun.
• Basic usage: Use 銃には弾が入っていない for a gun containing no ammunition and 残った弾の数 for the number of rounds left.
  • 展示された古い銃には弾が入っていない。 says that the old gun on display contains no ammunition; 物語の兵士は残った弾の数を確かめた。 describes a soldier checking how many bullets remained.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 弾が入っていない
  • が marks the ammunition that is absent, while には presents the gun as the place in which that state holds.
• 残った弾の数
  • 残った modifies 弾, and の links the remaining rounds to their number.
• 弾 and 銃
  • 弾 is the projectile or round, whereas 銃 is the gun that fires it.