手 meaning and stroke order
Hand; (formal) to hold; person engaged in certain types of work
How to write 手, stroke by stroke
4 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Meaning of 手
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- hand
- (formal) to hold
- person engaged in certain types of work
- person skilled in certain types of work
- personal(ly)
- convenient
How 手 is built
Pictographic character. A hand with the fingers splayed.
How to remember 手
手 (shǒu) is a picture of a hand with the fingers splayed. The horizontal strokes are the fingers spread out, and the long hooked vertical stroke is the palm and wrist running down the middle.
手 means hand, and it also appears at the end of words for people skilled at something, like 歌手 (gēshǒu) singer and 选手 (xuǎnshǒu) contestant. It is also very common in everyday words such as 手机 (shǒujī) cell phone. Example: 吃饭前要洗手。(Chī fàn qián yào xǐ shǒu.) Wash your hands before eating.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 手 (shǒu) with 毛 (máo, hair). In 手 the top stroke is a short falling stroke and the vertical ends with a hook to the left, while 毛 has a crossing vertical that curves to the right at the bottom.
Common words with 手
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 手机 | shǒujī | cell phone; mobile phone | HSK 1 |
| 洗手间 | xǐshǒujiān | toilet; lavatory | HSK 1 |
| 手表 | shǒubiǎo | wristwatch | HSK 2 |
| 举手 | jǔshǒu | to raise a hand; to put up one's hand (as signal) | HSK 2 |
| 手指 | shǒuzhǐ | finger | HSK 3 |
| 对手 | duìshǒu | opponent; rival | HSK 3 |
| 选手 | xuǎnshǒu | athlete; contestant | HSK 3 |
| 歌手 | gēshǒu | singer | HSK 3 |
| 握手 | wòshǒu | to shake hands | HSK 3 |
| 手续 | shǒuxù | procedure; formalities | HSK 3 |
| 分手 | fēnshǒu | to part company; to split up | HSK 4 |
| 手术 | shǒushù | (surgical) operation; surgery | HSK 4 |
| 手里 | shǒu li | in hand; (a situation is) in sb's hands | HSK 4 |
| 手套 | shǒutào | glove; mitten | HSK 4 |
手 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 手
Learning 手 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 手
How many strokes are in 手?
手 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 手 mean?
手 (shǒu) means hand; (formal) to hold; person engaged in certain types of work. A common word with it is 手机 (shǒujī), meaning "cell phone; mobile phone".
How do you pronounce 手?
手 is pronounced shǒu, in the third tone (dipping).
Is 手 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 手 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Why does 手 look different inside other characters like 打 and 拿?
On the left side of a character, 手 is usually written in a compressed form 扌, as in 打 (dǎ, to hit) and 找 (zhǎo, to look for). When it sits at the bottom, as in 拿 (ná, to take), it keeps its full shape. Both forms point to actions done with the hand.
How do you say left hand and right hand in Chinese?
Left hand is 左手 (zuǒshǒu) and right hand is 右手 (yòushǒu). To say both hands, use 双手 (shuāngshǒu).