手 — how to write the kanji for “hand”
手 (“hand”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in first grade in Japan. In newspapers it is one of the hundred most used kanji (60th). As one of the 214 traditional radicals it heads 458 kanji in KANJIDIC2. On its own it is the word te, “hand; arm”. Its native reading te leads in its common words, as in 大手 (“major company”) and 相手 (“companion”); read shu it forms 投手 (“pitcher”). Chinese reads it shǒu, “hand”, at HSK 1.
- Strokes
- 4
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 手 (“hand”)
- On
- シュ, ズ
- Kun
- て-, た-, て
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Left-falling stroke ㇒topdown and left → leftwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Curved hook ㇁topdownwards → down and left
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 4 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Under the radical 手
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- シュ shu, ズ zu
- Kun (native)
- て- te-, た- ta-, て te (rare), -て -te (rare)
- Meanings
- hand
- Read te
- 大手 相手 若手 取っ手 手続き 手紙
- Read shu
- 投手 選手 選手権
- School year
- first grade
- Newspaper rank
- 60th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 수 su
- Common words
- 152 in JMdict
Words with 手
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大手 | おおて oote | major company; big company |
| 投手 | とうしゅ toushu | pitcher |
| 相手 | あいて aite | companion; partner |
| 選手 | せんしゅ senshu | player; athlete |
| 選手権 | せんしゅけん senshuken | championship; title |
| 若手 | わかて wakate | young person |
| 取っ手 | とって totte | handle; grip |
| 手続き | てつづき tetsuzuki | procedure; process |
| 手段 | しゅだん shudan | means; way |
| 手紙 | てがみ tegami | letter; note |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
JLPT N4, in list order: