Chinese word

手

Pronunciation

Pinyinshǒu

Meaning

  • nounhand

Example

请把你的手洗干净。qǐng bǎ nǐ de shǒu xǐ gān jìng

Please wash your hands thoroughly.

Illustration for 手 (hand)

More examples

医生检查了我的手。yī shēng jiǎn chá le wǒ de shǒu

The doctor examined my hand.

Core concept

The active end of the arm that turns intention into touch, grip, work, or skilled action.

Common phrases

  • 洗手xí shǒu

    wash one's hands

  • 举手jú shǒu

    raise one's hand

  • 左手zuó shǒu

    left hand

Definition in Chinese

人体上肢末端的器官，主要用于抓取、操作和触觉，也可引申指技能、帮手等抽象含义。rén tǐ shàng zhī mò duān de qì guān zhǔ yào yòng yú zhuā qǔ cāo zuò hé chù jué yě kě yǐn shēn zhǐ jì néng bāng shǒu děng chōu xiàng hán yì

Word origin

手 (shǒu, "hand") preserves the idea of a hand in an early pictographic form, and Chinese later used that idea for the skill or worker that carries out a task.

Usage tips

  • In connected speech, this third-tone word can sound like a rising tone before another third-tone syllable because Chinese changes the first of two third tones.

Related words

Word lists with this word