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手印 (shǒu yìn) — handprint; thumbprint; fingerprint

Definition

Means any imprint of the hand or fingers — a handprint, thumbprint, or fingerprint. The specific referent (whole palm vs. thumb vs. finger) is usually clear from context.

noun
handprintthumbprintfingerprint
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 手印。
    Jǐng chá zài mén shàng zhǎo dào le yí gè qīng xī de shǒu yìn.
    The police found a clear fingerprint on the door.
  • 手印。
    Hái zi zài zhǐ shàng liú xià le zì jǐ de shǒu yìn.
    The child left his own handprint on the paper.
  • 手印，。
    Tā àn le shǒu yìn, biǎo shì tóng yì.
    He pressed his thumbprint to indicate agreement.

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.

手shǒuhand
印yìnprint

手 'hand' specifies the kind of 印 'print' meant, giving a print left by a hand.

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 →

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

  • 爪爪zhuǎhand
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

印 pairs 爪 (hand) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on a kneeling person.

Open 印 →
Appears in
Body Parts

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