手
hand
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Pictograph depicting a hand with five fingers.
Symbolism
Skill, work, assistance. Represents human agency.
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
自分勝手
じぶんかって
selfishness; egotism; egoism
手前味噌
てまえみそ
self-flattery; singing one's own praises
手練手管
てれんてくだ
wiles; art of coaxing
徒手空拳
としゅくうけん
being empty-handed; being penniless; having no capital (for starting a business)
得手勝手
えてかって
self-willed; (doing or saying things) to suit one's own convenience
拱手傍観
きょうしゅぼうかん
stand idly by and watch
袖手傍観
しゅうしゅぼうかん
looking on with folded arms (with one's hands in one's sleeves); remaining a passive onlooker
拍手喝采
はくしゅかっさい
clapping and cheering; applause
手前勝手
てまえがって
self-centered; self-centred; selfish
常套手段
じょうとうしゅだん
one's habitual practice; usual measure; old trick
眼高手低
がんこうしゅてい
able to criticize but not to create (criticise)
高手小手
たかてこて
bound hands and arms
先手必勝
せんてひっしょう
victory goes to the one who makes the first move; being quick to take action leads to victory; the early bird gets the worm
強硬手段
きょうこうしゅだん
tough measure; firm step; strong measure
赤手空拳
せきしゅくうけん
barehanded; having no wealth or position to rely on (aside from one's own resourcefulness) (when embarking on something)
手枷足枷
てかせあしかせ
manacles; shackles; fetters
無手勝流
むてかつりゅう
winning without fighting; method used to win without fighting; one's own way of doing things (i.e. as different from that of one's instructor)
鬼手仏心
きしゅぶっしん
compassionate ruthlessness; merciless scalpel of a merciful surgeon; a demon's hand and a Buddha's heart
Proverbs & Idioms
手八丁口八丁
てはっちょうくちはっちょう
Skillful hands and skillful mouth
Being clever with both words and actions
手を替え品を替え
てをかえしなをかえ
Trying different hands and different goods
Trying various approaches
Poetry
秋の田の かりほの庵の 苫をあらみ わが衣手は 露にぬれつつ
In the autumn fields the thatch of my makeshift hut is coarsely woven, and my sleeves keep growing wet with dew.
君がため 春の野に出でて 若菜つむ わが衣手に 雪はふりつつ
For your sake I went out to the spring fields to gather young herbs, and the snow kept falling on my sleeves.
このたびは ぬさもとりあへず 手向山 紅葉のにしき 神のまにまに
This journey left no time to prepare offerings. Take instead, O gods, the brocade of maple leaves on Mount Tamuke.
春の夜の 夢ばかりなる 手枕に かひなく立たむ 名こそ惜しけれ
For an arm pillow no more real than a spring night's dream, I would hate to lose my name for nothing.
世の中は つねにもがもな 渚こぐ あまの小舟の 綱手かなしも
If only the world could stay as it is. The tow-rope of a fisherman's small boat along the shore moves me so.
Anime & Manga
ヴァニタスの手記
The Case Study of Vanitas
A well-known work with 手 in its Japanese title.
からかい上手の高木さん
Teasing Master Takagi-san
A well-known work with 手 in its Japanese title.
異世界でチート能力を手にした俺は、現実世界をも無双する ~レベルアップは人生を変えた~
I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in The Real World, Too
A well-known work with 手 in its Japanese title.
ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン 外伝~永遠と自動手記人形~
Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll
A well-known work with 手 in its Japanese title.
本好きの下剋上 司書になるためには手段を選んでいられません
Ascendance of a Bookworm
A well-known work with 手 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
平手政秀
Name contains 手
Hirate Masahide was a Japanese samurai who served the Oda clan for two generations.
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 手 mean in Japanese?
手 means hand.
How do you read 手?
On'yomi: シュ、ズ (SHU, ZU). Kun'yomi: て、て-、-て、た- (te, te, te, ta).
How many strokes does 手 have?
手 has 4 strokes. Its radical is 手 (hand).
Is 手 a good kanji for a tattoo?
手 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means hand. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.
Explore by meaning:hand