Meaning
hand; convenient
Chinese: 人体手部；也表示技能或做事的人。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “shou” becomes a different word in each tone. 手 is the 3rd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 手机shǒu jīcell phone; mobile phone
- 洗手间xǐ shǒu jiāntoilet; lavatory; washroom
- 手表shǒu biǎowristwatch
- 举手jǔ shǒuto raise a hand; to put up one's hand (as signal)
- 选手xuǎn shǒuathlete; contestant
Example Sentence
饭前要洗手。Fàn qián yào xǐ shǒu.Wash your hands before eating.
饭Fàncooked rice前qiánfront要yàoto want洗手xǐ shǒuto wash one's hands。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
A pictograph of a hand with the fingers and wrist. As a left-hand radical it is written 扌, as in 打, 拿, 找.
A way to remember it
Lines fanning out like fingers above a wrist.
Easy to confuse with
- 毛‘Hair / fur’: a similar frame, but the bottom stroke curls the other way.