手

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 手を洗ってください。▶ —
   Please wash your hands.
2. 手紙を書きます。▶ —
   I write a letter.

Collocations

Mnemonic

て — 手, Yamato. One mora names the hand. The kanji 手 is a pictograph of an open hand — three fingers rising in the middle, the others fanning out. The hand is metaphor-ready — 手伝う tetsudau (the helping hand = to help), 手紙 tegami (a hand's writing = letter). 上手 jouzu (high hand = skilled), 下手 heta (low hand = unskilled). Step into the onyomi しゅ shu and the hand becomes a person — 選手 senshu (chosen hand = athlete), 投手 toushu (throwing hand = pitcher), 歌手 kashu (singing hand = singer). The Japanese instinct of 'hand = doer of the act' lives entirely inside this single character.

Quick check

1. "Athlete" in Japanese?

   • 選手 senshu (correct, "selected hand")
   • スポーツ手 (mixed, wrong)
   • 運動手 (descriptive, not standard)
   • 選手手 (double)