手持 (shǒu chí) — (attributive) handheld; held in the hand | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

An attributive adjective meaning 'handheld' (devices, tools, cameras) — used only to modify a following noun, never as a predicate on its own.

adjective

(attributive) handheldheld in the hand

Examples

手持。
Tā mǎi le yì tái shǒu chí shè bèi.
He bought a handheld device.
手持。
Zhè zhǒng shǒu chí gōng jù hěn fāng biàn.
This kind of handheld tool is very convenient.
手持。
shǒu chí Xiàng jī pāi chū de zhào piàn hěn qīng xī.
Photos taken with a handheld camera are very clear.

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.

持 is to hold, and 手 shows it is done with the hand, giving handheld.

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.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

寺

寺sì持chí

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

持 combines 手 (hand), for the idea of holding, with 寺, which gives the sound.

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