Definition
手足 literally means 'hand and foot', but it is most commonly used as a metaphor for brothers — the bond between siblings is as essential as one's own hands and feet. You'll see it in idioms like 情同手足 ('as close as brothers'). In formal or literary contexts, 手足 can also refer to 'bodily movement' in set phrases like 手足无措 ('at a loss, not knowing what to do with one's hands and feet').
n.
(literal) hand and foot(figurative) brotherhoodbrothers(formal) movementaction (of the limbs)
Examples
- ，。Wǒmen liǎ qíng tóng shǒu zú, yǒngyuǎn shì hǎo péngyou.We two are as close as brothers, forever good friends.
- ，手足。Tiānqì tài lěng, wǒ de shǒu zú dōu dòngjiāng le.It's so cold that my hands and feet are both frozen stiff.
- ，，。Tīng dào zhège huài xiāoxi, tā shǒu zú wú cuò, bù zhī zěnme bàn.Upon hearing the bad news, he was at a loss, not knowing what to do.
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