shǒu

hand

HSK 2 4 strokes
Stroke order animation for 手

Words with this Character

shǒu HSK 2
手表 shǒu biǎo HSK 2
wristwatch
手机 shǒu jī HSK 2
cell phone
洗手间 xǐ shǒu jiān HSK 3
toilet
歌手 gēshǒu HSK 4
歌手
握手 wò shǒu HSK 4
to shake hands
对手 duì shǒu HSK 5
opponent
二手 èrshǒu HSK 5
二手
手段 shǒuduàn HSK 5
手段
手工 shǒu gōng HSK 5
handwork
手术 shǒu shù HSK 5
(surgical) operation
手套 shǒu tào HSK 5
glove
手续 shǒu xù HSK 5
procedure
手指 shǒu zhǐ HSK 5
finger
把手 bǎ shǒu HSK 6
to shake hands
动手 dòng shǒu HSK 6
to set about (a task)
放手 fàng shǒu HSK 6
to let go one's hold
分手 fēn shǒu HSK 6
to part company
高手 gāoshǒu HSK 6
高手
拿手 ná shǒu HSK 6
expert in
手臂 shǒubì HSK 6
手臂
手法 shǒu fǎ HSK 6
technique
手势 shǒu shì HSK 6
gesture
手艺 shǒu yì HSK 6
craftmanship
随手 suí shǒu HSK 6
conveniently
凶手 xiōng shǒu HSK 6
murderer
选手 xuǎn shǒu HSK 6
athlete
招手 zhāoshǒu HSK 6
招手
着手 zhuó shǒu HSK 6
to put one's hand to it
助手 zhù shǒu HSK 6
assistant; helper
爱不释手 ài bù shì shǒu HSK 6
(idiom) to like sth so much that one is reluctant to put it down; to
不择手段 bù zé shǒu duàn HSK 6
by fair means or foul
帮手 bāngshou HSK 7
帮手
插手 chāshǒu HSK 7
插手
出手 chūshǒu HSK 7
出手
得手 déshǒu HSK 7
得手
棘手 jíshǒu HSK 7
棘手
接手 jiēshǒu HSK 7
接手
联手 liánshǒu HSK 7
联手
两手 liǎngshǒu HSK 7
两手
亲手 qīnshǒu HSK 7
亲手
人手 rénshǒu HSK 7
人手
入手 rùshǒu HSK 7
入手
杀手 shāshǒu HSK 7
杀手
伸手 shēnshǒu HSK 7
伸手
手册 shǒucè HSK 7
手册
手动 shǒudòng HSK 7
手动
手脚 shǒujiǎo HSK 7
手脚
手帕 shǒupà HSK 7
手帕
手枪 shǒuqiāng HSK 7
手枪
手头 shǒutóu HSK 7
手头
手腕 shǒuwàn HSK 7
手腕
手掌 shǒuzhǎng HSK 7
手掌
顺手 shùnshǒu HSK 7
顺手
下手 xiàshǒu HSK 7
下手
携手 xiéshǒu HSK 7
携手
新手 xīnshǒu HSK 7
新手
一手 yìshǒu HSK 7
一手
打下手 dǎ xiàshǒu HSK 7
打下手
第一手 dìyīshǒu HSK 7
第一手
措手不及 cuòshǒu-bùjí HSK 7
措手不及
得心应手 déxīn-yìngshǒu HSK 7
得心应手
束手无策 shùshǒu-wúcè HSK 7
束手无策
心灵手巧 xīnlíng-shǒuqiǎo HSK 7
心灵手巧
袖手旁观 xiùshǒu-pángguān HSK 7
袖手旁观
指手画脚 zhǐshǒu-huàjiǎo HSK 7
指手画脚

Basic Meaning

The word "" primarily means "hand," referring to the body part at the end of the arm. It is used literally to talk about physical hands, injuries, or actions involving hands.

Extended Uses

Beyond the literal meaning, "" often appears in expressions related to skill or ability, such as "手艺" (skill, craftsmanship). It can also be used in commands or requests involving hand movements, like "" (raise hand).

Common Collocations

  • 手艺 (skill, craftsmanship): emphasizes manual skill or talent.
  • (raise hand): common in classroom or meeting contexts.
  • 受伤 (injured hand): describes physical condition.

Usage Notes

When using "," it is important to distinguish between the physical hand and metaphorical uses related to skill or action. For example, "" implies having skill, not just a hand. Also, "" can be combined with verbs to form compound words describing hand-related actions.

Avoid confusing "" with similar body parts like "" (foot) or abstract terms like "手段" (means, method), which uses "" but has a more figurative meaning.

Example Sentences

他的手受伤了,不能写字。

Tā de shǒu shòushāng le, bù néng xiězì.

His hand is injured and he can't write.

请把手举起来。

Qǐng bǎ shǒu jǔ qǐlái.

Please raise your hand.

他是个很有手艺的木匠。

Tā shì gè hěn yǒu shǒuyì de mùjiàng.

He is a very skillful carpenter.