Meaning of 招手
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to wave
- to beckon
How to use 招手
招手 is used for waving a hand to greet someone, to say goodbye, or to signal someone to come closer. It often appears with 向 or 对 to show who you wave at. 她向我招手。(Tā xiàng wǒ zhāoshǒu.) She waved to me.
招 (zhāo) has the hand radical 扌 on the left, and 手 (shǒu) is a hand, so 招手 is literally using your hand to call someone over. Picture a hand moving to say come here.
Common mistake: Learners often put the person right after the verb, as in 招手我, but 招手 is verb plus object already, so say 向我招手 (xiàng wǒ zhāoshǒu). Also do not confuse 招 (zhāo) with 召 (zhào), which lacks the hand radical and has a fourth tone.
招手 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
招 zhāo · to recruit · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
手 shǒu · hand · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 招手.
| 手机 | shǒujī | cell phone; mobile phone |
| 洗手间 | xǐshǒujiān | toilet; lavatory |
| 手表 | shǒubiǎo | wristwatch |
| 举手 | jǔshǒu | to raise a hand; to put up one's hand (as signal) |
| 手指 | shǒuzhǐ | finger |
| 对手 | duìshǒu | opponent; rival |
| 选手 | xuǎnshǒu | athlete; contestant |
| 歌手 | gēshǒu | singer |
| 握手 | wòshǒu | to shake hands |
| 手续 | shǒuxù | procedure; formalities |
| 分手 | fēnshǒu | to part company; to split up |
| 手术 | shǒushù | (surgical) operation; surgery |
Questions about 招手
What does 招手 mean?
招手 (zhāoshǒu) means "to wave; to beckon".
How do you write 招手?
招手 is made of 2 characters: 招 (8 strokes), 手 (4 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 招手 an HSK word?
Yes. 招手 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 招手 and 挥手?
挥手 (huīshǒu) is a general wave, often used for goodbye, as in 挥手告别. 招手 more often suggests beckoning or catching someone's attention, like calling a waiter or a taxi.
How do I say to hail a taxi with 招手?
You can say 招手打车 (zhāoshǒu dǎchē) or 招手叫出租车 (zhāoshǒu jiào chūzūchē). Both describe raising your hand at the roadside to stop a taxi.