The character 手 — “hand”: how to write it and what it means
hand
The Chinese character 手 is read shǒu and means “hand”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 手
手 has 4 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 手, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 手 is made of
A picture of a palm with fingers.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 手
- 手机cell phoneHSK 1
- 手表wristwatchHSK 2
- 洗手间restroomHSK 2
- 歌手singerHSK 4
- 分手break up (couple)HSK 5
- 手套glovesHSK 5
- 二手second-hand, usedHSK 5
- 手续formalitiesHSK 5
- 手术surgeryHSK 5
- 手指fingerHSK 5
- 随手in passing, convenientlyHSK 5
- 动手get to work; come to blowsHSK 5
- 手段means, methodHSK 5
- 握手shake handsHSK 5
- 选手contestant, athleteHSK 5
- 对手opponentHSK 5
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 手?
手 has 4 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 手 mean?
手 means “hand”. It appears in 手机 (“cell phone”), 手表 (“wristwatch”), 洗手间 (“restroom”), 歌手 (“singer”).
How do you pronounce 手?
手 is read shǒu. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 手 have?
4 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 手 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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