Chinese word

出手

Pronunciation

Pinyinchū shǒu

Meaning

verbmake a move

Example

对方连续挑衅后，他终于出手了。duì fāng lián xù tiǎo xìn hòu tā zhōng yú chū shǒu le

After the other side kept provoking him, he finally made a move.

More examples

邻居看到孩子被欺负，立刻出手帮忙。lín jū kàn dào hái zi bèi qī fù lì kè chū shǒu bāng máng

When the neighbor saw the child being bullied, they immediately stepped in to help out.

Core concept

A hand leaves its resting place and enters a situation, turning observation into concrete action.

Common phrases

出手干预chū shǒu gān yù
step in
出手帮忙chū shǒu bāng máng
help out

Similar words

动手dòng shǒu: Getting hands-on with a task and beginning its practical work.
采取行动cái qǔ xíng dòng: Putting a decided course of action into practice.
介入jiè rù: Getting involved as an outsider to deal with or settle a problem or dispute.
插手chā shǒu: Intruding into another person's affairs and influencing what happens or gets decided.

Definition in Chinese

开始着手做某事，表示介入处理或采取措施，不一定含有暴力意味。kāi shǐ zhuó shǒu zuò mǒu shì biǎo shì jiè rù chú lǐ huò cái qǔ cuò shī bù yí dìng hán yǒu bào lì yì wèi

Word origin

The compound 出 (chū, "go out") and 手 (shǒu, "hand") portrays a hand being extended, which naturally develops into the idea of taking action in a situation.

Usage tips

The word itself does not specify whether the action is helpful, official, or confrontational, so context supplies the speaker's attitude.

Opposites

收手shōu shǒuwithdrawverb