Chinese word

手里

Pronunciation

Pinyinshǒu lǐ

Meaning

  • nounin one's hand

Example

他把手机放在手里。tā bǎ shǒu jī fàng zài shóu lǐ

He put the phone in his hand.

Illustration for 手里 (in one's hand)

More examples

钱包不在手里，可能丢了。qián bāo bú zài shóu lǐ kě néng diū le

The wallet is not in my hand; it may be lost.

Core concept

A person has something close enough to hold, operate, or take out without delay.

Common phrases

  • 手里没有shóu lǐ méi yǒu

    not have on hand

  • 放在手里fàng zài shóu lǐ

    put in one's hand

  • 手里放着shóu lǐ fàng zhe

    be in one's hand

Similar words

手上shǒu shàng: Carried in the hand and ready to use.
手边shǒu biān: Located beside the hand where it can be reached quickly.
手头shǒu tóu: Available to manage or use at once, especially funds or other resources.
身边shēn biān: Located close beside a person and available when needed.

Definition in Chinese

表示某物放在或拿在手中，强调该物处于可以直接操控或随手取出的状态。biǎo shì mǒu wù fàng zài huò ná zài shǒu zhōng qiáng diào gāi wù chǔ yú ké yǐ zhí jiē cāo kòng huò suí shǒu qǔ chū de zhuàng tài

Word origin

手 (shǒu, "hand") + 里 (lǐ, "inside") describes something as being inside the hand's reach, which gives the compound both a physical and a possession-related sense.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, the expression can refer to money, information, or other resources as well as objects, so its meaning is not limited to something visibly held.

Other meanings

  • in one's possessionnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word