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手 — hand; to hold

hand; to hold; person engaged in certain types of work

Pinyin
shǒu
Strokes
4
HSK level
HSK 1
Handwriting
recognition only

How to write 手: 4 strokes

Each cell adds one stroke to the previous ones, with the new stroke in red. Stroke order is not decoration: it sets the proportions of the character and makes handwriting legible to a reader. The syllabus asks you to recognise this character rather than write it by hand.

手 — 4 strokes, in writing order from left to right.

Build a printable practice sheet with 手

Words with 手 in the HSK syllabus: 64

Every word in the official 2026 syllabus that contains this character, with the level it is introduced at. Learning a character pays off through these: each one combines with the characters you already know.

  1. 手机shǒujīcell phone; mobile phoneHSK 1
  2. 手shǒuhand; to holdHSK 2
  3. 手表shǒubiǎowristwatchHSK 2
  4. 洗手间xǐshǒujiāntoilet; lavatory; washroomHSK 2
  5. 歌手gēshǒusingerHSK 4
  6. 动手dòngshǒuto set about; to raise a hand to hit sbHSK 5
  7. 对手duìshǒuopponent; rival; competitor; adversary; matchHSK 5
  8. 二手èrshǒuindirectly acquired; second-hand; assistantHSK 5
  9. 分手fēnshǒuto part company; to split up; to break upHSK 5
  10. 手段shǒuduànmethod; way; means; skill; ability; trick; wileHSK 5
  11. 手工shǒugōnghandwork; manualHSK 5
  12. 手术shǒushùoperation; surgeryHSK 5
  13. 手套shǒutàoglove; mittenHSK 5
  14. 手续shǒuxùprocedure; formalitiesHSK 5
  15. 手指shǒuzhǐfingerHSK 5
  16. 随手suíshǒuconveniently; without extra trouble; while doing itHSK 5
  17. 握手wòshǒuto shake handsHSK 5
  18. 选手xuǎnshǒuathlete; contestantHSK 5
  19. 高手gāoshǒuexpert; past master; dab handHSK 6
  20. 手臂shǒubìarm; assistant; helperHSK 6
  21. 手法shǒufǎtechnique; trick; skillHSK 6
  22. 手势shǒushìgesture; sign; signalHSK 6
  23. 招手zhāoshǒuto wave; to beckonHSK 6
  24. 助手zhùshǒuassistant; helperHSK 6
  25. 爱不释手àibúshìshǒuto like sth so much that one is reluctant to put it down; to find sth utterly irresistibleHSK 7–9
  26. 把手bǎshouhandle; grip; knobHSK 7–9
  27. 帮手bāngshouhelper; assistantHSK 7–9
  28. 插手chāshǒuto get involved in; to meddle; interferenceHSK 7–9
  29. 出手chūshǒuto dispose of; to spend; to undertake a taskHSK 7–9
  30. 措手不及cuòshǒu-bùjíno time to deal with it; caught unpreparedHSK 7–9
  31. 打下手dǎ xiàshǒuto act in a supporting roleHSK 7–9
  32. 得手déshǒuto go smoothly; to come off; to succeedHSK 7–9
  33. 得心应手déxīn-yìngshǒulit. what the heart wishes, the hand accomplishes skilled at the jobHSK 7–9
  34. 第一手dìyīshǒufirst-handHSK 7–9
  35. 棘手jíshǒuthorny; intractableHSK 7–9
  36. 接手jiēshǒuto take over; catcherHSK 7–9
  37. 联手liánshǒulit. to join hands; to act togetherHSK 7–9
  38. 两手liǎngshǒuone's two hands; two prongsHSK 7–9
  39. 拿手náshǒuexpert in; good atHSK 7–9
  40. 亲手qīnshǒuwith one's own hands; personallyHSK 7–9

And 24 more across the higher levels — the full lists are on the level pages.

Glosses come from CC-CEDICT, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, and are the dictionary’s first sense rather than a translation chosen for context.