Chinese word

手段

Pronunciation

Pinyinshǒu duàn

Meaning

  • nounmeans

Example

我们需要新的手段来解决问题。wǒ men xū yào xīn de shǒu duàn lái jiě jué wèn tí

We need new means to solve the problem.

Illustration for 手段 (means)

More examples

公司采用了各种手段来提高生产效率。gōng sī cǎi yòng le gè zhǒng shǒu duàn lái tí gāo shēng chǎn xiào lǜ

The company adopted various means to improve production efficiency.

Core concept

A chosen route links a goal to a result through a concrete step or a planned tactic.

Common phrases

  • 各种手段gè zhǒng shǒu duàn

    various means

  • 有效的手段yǒu xiào de shǒu duàn

    effective means

  • 采取手段cái qǔ shǒu duàn

    adopt measures

Similar words

方法fāng fǎ: A method or procedure for achieving a particular goal.
办法bàn fǎ: A workable way to deal with or solve a specific problem.
方式fāng shì: A manner or form of carrying out an action or task.
措施cuò shī: A concrete measure taken to improve a situation or prevent harm.

Definition in Chinese

为达到目的而采取的办法或策略，可指具体措施也可指计策。wèi dá dào mù dì ér cái qǔ de bàn fǎ huò cè lüè kě zhǐ jù tǐ cuò shī yě kě zhǐ jì cè

Word origin

The compound 手段 (shǒuduàn, "means") combines 手 (shǒu, "hand") + 段 (duàn, "section or step"), so an action or step becomes a means of reaching an aim.

Usage tips

  • In public discussion, the word can sound neutral or critical: it may describe a practical policy or a calculated tactic, so the surrounding context shows the speaker's attitude.

Other meanings

  • techniquenoun
  • measurenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word