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动手 (dòng shǒu) — to start working on, to set about (a task); to hit, to strike (with hands); to touch (with hands)

Definition

动手 is a separable verb covering both senses: 'to start work on a task' (synonymous with 着手/下手) and 'to hit / to touch with hands' (similar to 打, but 动手 is more about the action beginning). Negate the 'touch' sense as 请勿动手 ('please don't touch').

verb
to start working onto set about (a task)to hitto strike (with hands)to touch (with hands)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 动手，。
    Dà jiā yì qǐ lái dòng shǒu ba, zǎo diǎn zuò wán.
    Let's all start working on it together and finish early.
  • ，。
    Tā xiān dòng de shǒu, bú shì wǒ de cuò.
    He struck first; it wasn't my fault.
  • ，动手。
    Zhǎn pǐn hěn zhēn guì, qǐng wù dòng shǒu.
    The exhibits are very precious; please do not touch.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

动dòngmove
手shǒuhand

The part 动 means move, and 手 means hand, so the word describes moving the hand to start an action.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

手 draws a five-fingered human hand: the top line is a bent middle finger, and the horizontal lines show the other four fingers.

Open 手 →
Appears in
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