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拿手 (ná shǒu) — good at; expert in

Definition

Adjective meaning 'good at' or 'one's specialty,' used for skills or dishes someone excels at. Stronger than the more general 善, and not used for moral goodness the way 善 is.

adjective
good atexpert in

Examples

  • 拿手。
    Zhè shì tā de ná shǒu hǎo cài.
    This dish is her specialty.
  • 拿手。
    Tā xiū diàn nǎo hěn ná shǒu.
    He is very good at fixing computers.
  • 拿手。
    Tā zuì ná shǒu de shì yóu yǒng.
    What he's best at is swimming.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

拿nágrasp
手shǒuhand

拿 (grasp) and 手 (hand) combine to suggest being able to handle something skillfully.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 拿 pairs 合 with 手, and it is a later alternative form for taking with the hand.

Open 拿 →

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 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6

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