手拉手 (shǒu lā shǒu) — hand in hand (literal: holding each other's hands); together in unity; in solidarity (figurative)

Definition

A vivid, chengyu-like verb phrase meaning 'hand in hand' literally, and 'together in solidarity' figuratively. Often used as an adverbial frame (手拉手地 / 手拉手，我们…) to emphasize unity or collective action.

verb
hand in hand (literal: holding each other's hands)together in unityin solidarity (figurative)

Examples

  • 手拉手。
    Hái zi men shǒu lā shǒu zài cāo chǎng shàng pǎo lái pǎo qù.
    The children ran around the playground hand in hand.
  • 手拉手。
    Dà jiā shǒu lā shǒu wéi chéng yí gè dà quān tiào wǔ.
    Everyone formed a big circle and danced hand in hand.
  • 手拉手，。
    shǒu lā shǒu, Wǒ men yì qǐ kè fú kùn nan.
    Hand in hand, we overcome difficulties together.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

手shǒuhand
拉手hold hands
拉lāpull手shǒuhand
动宾Verb + object

In 手拉手, 手 and 手 meet through 拉, making the picture of hands holding hands.

Characters in this word

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 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →

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 →

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