A tambourine is a shallow round frame, usually held in one hand, with small metal discs set loose around the edge so they rattle. Most have a skin or plastic head stretched over the frame; some are just the ring and the discs. You can shake it, or tap the head with your hand, or hit it against your leg — all three are normal, and each makes a different sound.

A tambourineTambourine（鈴鼓） is是 a shallow round frame一個淺淺的圓框，usually held in one hand通常用一隻手拿著，with small metal discs set loose around the edge so they rattle邊緣鬆鬆地裝著小金屬片，會發出沙沙的聲音。Most have a skin or plastic head stretched over the frame大部分在框上蒙著一層皮或塑膠膜；some are just the ring and the discs有些則只是圓框和小金屬片。You can shake it你可以搖它，or tap the head with your hand或用手拍鼓面，or hit it against your leg或拿它拍打腿——all three are normal, and each makes a different sound這三種都很常見，而且每一種發出的聲音都不一樣。

It turns up in church music, folk music, kindergarten music classes, and rock bands, where the singer often picks one up when they have nothing else to do with their hands. That has given the word a small joke: to say someone "is just playing the tambourine" can mean they are in the group but not doing anything difficult. It is gentle teasing, not an insult.

It turns up in church music, folk music, kindergarten music classes, and rock bands它會出現在教會音樂、民謠、幼稚園音樂課，還有搖滾樂團裡，where the singer often picks one up when they have nothing else to do with their hands在那裡主唱常常在手上沒事做的時候拿起它來用。That has given the word a small joke這也讓這個字多了一個小玩笑：to say someone "is just playing the tambourine"說某人"is just playing the tambourine"（只是在打鈴鼓），can mean they are in the group but not doing anything difficult可以是說他有加入團隊，但沒在做什麼困難的事。It is gentle teasing這是溫和的調侃，not an insult不是侮辱。

English also has tambour, the older and bigger word, meaning a drum — but ordinary people almost never say it. Stick with tambourine.

English also has tambour, the older and bigger word, meaning a drum英文裡還有tambour這個更古老、範圍更大的字，意思是鼓——but ordinary people almost never say it但一般人幾乎不會這樣說。Stick with tambourine還是用tambourine就好。