Chinese word

手动

Pronunciation

Pinyinshǒu dòng

Meaning

  • adjectivemanual

Example

这台相机可以切换到手动模式。zhè tái xiàng jī ké yǐ qiē huàn dào shǒu dòng mó shì

This camera can switch to manual mode.

Illustration for 手动 (manual)

More examples

拍照时他习惯用手动对焦来控制清晰度。pāi zhào shí tā xí guàn yòng shǒu dòng duì jiāo lái kòng zhì qīng xī dù

When taking photos, he usually uses manual focus to control sharpness.

Core concept

A person sets and changes the operation instead of leaving it to a built-in control system.

Common phrases

  • 手动模式shǒu dòng mó shì

    manual mode

  • 手动对焦shǒu dòng duì jiāo

    manual focus

  • 手动调节shǒu dòng tiáo jié

    manual adjustment

Similar words

自动zì dòng: Working on its own without direct human control.
半自动bàn zì dòng: Combining automatic operation with human control of the remaining actions.

Definition in Chinese

需要人手直接控制才能完成的方式或状态，即由人工操作而非由系统自动完成。xū yào rén shǒu zhí jiē kòng zhì cái néng wán chéng de fāng shì huò zhuàng tài jí yóu rén gōng cāo zuò ér fēi yóu xì tǒng zì dòng wán chéng

Word origin

The compound joins 手 (shǒu, "hand") with 动 (dòng, "move"), linking human action to the act of making something work.

Usage tips

  • The term applies to controls, settings, and procedures, not only to bare-handed work, so buttons and software can still be part of a manual process.

Other meanings

  • operate by handverb
  • manuallyadverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 手动挡shǒu dòng dǎngmanual transmissionnoun
  • 手动操作shǒu dòng cāo zuòmanual operationnoun

Word lists with this word