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帮手 (bāng shou) — helper, assistant

Definition

帮手 (bāngshou) is an everyday noun for a person who helps, usually informally (helping a friend move, lending a hand). More formal/professional roles use 助手 or 助理.

noun
helperassistant
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 帮手。
    Tā shì wǒ zuì kě kào de bāng shou.
    He is my most reliable assistant.
  • ，帮手。
    Bān jiā nà tiān, wǒ zhǎo le jǐ gè bāng shou.
    On moving day, I found a few helpers.
  • 帮手。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù xū yào liǎng gè bāng shou.
    This project needs two assistants.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

帮bānghelp
手shǒuperson suffix

帮 means assist, and 手 stands for a person, so together they mean a helper.

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 幫; 帮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
帛帛bósilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
封
封fēng幫bāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 帮's traditional form 幫, 帛 (silk) gives the meaning and 封 gives the sound; it originally named the upper part of a shoe.

Open 帮 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Social Roles & Status

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