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能手 (néng shǒu) — expert, master hand

Definition

能手 refers to someone with strong practical skill at a specific task (e.g. a computer 能手, a chess 能手), not a general scholar. Pair it with a field (电脑能手, 烹饪能手) rather than using it alone.

noun
expertmaster hand
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 能手。
    Tā shì gōng rèn de diàn nǎo néng shǒu.
    He is a recognized computer expert.
  • 能手。
    Zhè wèi néng shǒu zài bǐ sài zhōng biǎo xiàn chū sè.
    This expert performed excellently in the competition.
  • 能手。
    Xiǎng chéng wéi néng shǒu xū yào cháng qī liàn xí.
    Becoming an expert requires long-term practice.

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.

能néngable
手shǒuhand

An able hand denotes a person skilled in doing something.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

能 is an old picture of a bear, showing two paws and a face with an open mouth.

Open 能 →

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
Professions & Jobs

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