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右手 (yòu shǒu) — right hand; right-hand side

Definition

noun
right handright-hand side
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 右手。
    Tā yòng yòu shǒu xiě zì.
    He writes with his right hand.
  • 右手。
    Qǐng wǎng yòu shǒu biān kàn.
    Please look to the right-hand side.
  • 右手。
    Wǒ de yòu shǒu yǒu diǎn téng.
    My right hand hurts a little.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

右yòuright
手shǒuhand

“右” gives right side, “手” gives hand; together it names the right hand.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu右yòu
Same sound today

右 is made from 又, which supplied the sound, with 口 added as a distinguishing mark.

Open 右 →

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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