Japanese kanji 手: hand

The idea

手 has 4 strokes. Follow the order in the linked KanjiVG diagram. Compare 手（て）, “hand”, with 上手（じょうず）, “skilful; good at”. A character may be read differently from word to word; learn each word as a unit.

Examples

• 私わたしは手てを洗あらいます。I wash my hands.
• 手てが冷つめたいです。My hands are cold.
• 手紙てがみを書かきます。I write a letter.
• ピアノが上手じょうずです。I am good at playing the piano.
• 切手きってを買かいます。I buy a postage stamp.
• 手てを上あげてください。Please raise your hand.

Watch out

上手 is one word meaning skilled; its reading じょうず is not obtained by reading 手 as て. Compare the shape of 手 with 毛; notice how their components differ.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 手 (hand) in hiragana.

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   て

   手 is read て and means “hand”. Remember the reading as part of the whole word.

2. Write the reading of 上手 (skilful; good at) in hiragana.

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   じょうず

   上手 is read じょうず and means “skilful; good at”. Remember the reading as part of the whole word.

3. Fill in the missing kanji: ＿紙（てがみ）.

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   手

   手 completes 手紙（てがみ）, meaning “letter”.

4. Which word means “postage stamp”? Write the whole word using kanji: 切手 or 手紙.

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   切手

   切手 is read きって and means “postage stamp”. Remember the reading as part of the whole word. 手紙 instead means “letter”.

Use it today

Write 手 three times following the linked stroke diagram. Cover the table, read 手 and 上手 aloud, and then check their readings and meanings.