Meaning of 握手
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to shake hands
How to use 握手
握手 is a separable verb, so the object goes before it with 跟 or 和, not after it. It is common in greetings, business meetings, and making up after an argument. Example: 他跟我握手。(Tā gēn wǒ wòshǒu.) He shook hands with me.
握 (wò) means to grip, and it has the hand radical 扌 on the left. Put it with 手 (shǒu), hand, and you get 'grip a hand', which is a handshake.
Common mistake: Learners often say 握手他 to mean 'shake hands with him', but the correct form is 跟他握手 (gēn tā wòshǒu). Also, 握 is fourth tone wò, so do not read it as wō or wǒ.
握手 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.
握 wò · to hold · 12 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
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- 12
手 shǒu · hand · 4 strokes
- 1
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- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 握手.
| 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 |
| 把握 | bǎwò | to grasp (also fig.); to seize |
| 手续 | shǒuxù | procedure; formalities |
| 分手 | fēnshǒu | to part company; to split up |
| 手术 | shǒushù | (surgical) operation; surgery |
Questions about 握手
What does 握手 mean?
握手 (wòshǒu) means "to shake hands".
How do you write 握手?
握手 is made of 2 characters: 握 (12 strokes), 手 (4 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 握手 an HSK word?
Yes. 握手 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can I put words in the middle of 握手?
Yes. Because it is a separable verb, you can say 握了握手 (wòle wòshǒu) or 握过手 (wòguo shǒu), meaning 'shook hands' or 'have shaken hands'.
What does 握手言和 mean?
握手言和 (wòshǒu yán hé) means to shake hands and make peace. It is used when two sides end a conflict or settle a dispute.