Chinese word

手指

Pronunciation

Pinyinshǒu zhǐ

Meaning

  • nounfinger

Example

洗手后记得擦干手指。xí shǒu hòu jì de cā gàn shóu zhǐ

Remember to dry your fingers after washing your hands.

Illustration for 手指 (finger)

More examples

请在吃饭前洗净手指。qǐng zài chī fàn qián xǐ jìng shóu zhǐ

Please wash your fingers before you eat.

Core concept

A flexible extension of the hand that turns contact into touch, grip, or a pointing signal.

Common phrases

  • 保持手指清洁bǎo chí shóu zhǐ qīng jié

    keep fingers clean

  • 检查手指伤口jiǎn chá shóu zhǐ shāng kǒu

    inspect finger wounds

Similar words

指zhǐ: A narrow part at the end of a hand or foot that is used for touch and careful movement.
手shǒu: The end part of the arm that can grasp, carry, touch, and handle things.

Definition in Chinese

人或动物手部末端伸出的细长可动部分，用于触觉、抓握和指示。rén huò dòng wù shǒu bù mò duān shēn chū de xì cháng kě dòng bù fèn yòng yú chù jué zhuā wò hé zhǐ shì

Word origin

手指 (shǒuzhǐ, "finger") places 手 (shǒu, "hand") before 指 (zhǐ, "finger"), making the hand-related meaning explicit.

Usage tips

  • When the exact number matters, Chinese places a measure word before this noun instead of changing its form.

Opposites

Related words

  • 手指尖shóu zhǐ jiānfingertipnoun

Word lists with this word