shǒu手

Hand Radical (手)

Explore 15 Chinese characters containing the Hand radical (手), with stroke order animations and meanings.

4strokes15characters

Characters with this radical usually relate to hand.

Also Study 手 as a Component

Meaning clue

This radical can also be studied as a reusable character component. The component page focuses on learning patterns, examples, and memory clues.

Open component page

HSK Levels for Hand Radical (手) Characters

HSK 31 chars(7%)

HSK 41 chars(7%)

HSK 61 chars(7%)

Other12 chars

3 of 15 characters appear in HSK vocabulary lists

Jump to:

+0Additional Strokes

1 character

+4Additional Strokes

2 characters

to receive, to accept, to undertake, to bear

+5Additional Strokes

1 character

to bow, to pay respects

+6Additional Strokes

4 characters

sincere, earnest

+8Additional Strokes

3 characters

palm of the hand

break off (with hands)

+10Additional Strokes

1 character

trace, copy, duplicate

+11Additional Strokes

1 character

rub, grind, friction

+12Additional Strokes

1 character

to lift up, to raise high

+15Additional Strokes

1 character

to climb, to pull, to grasp

Common Words with the Hand Radical (手)

抬头tái tóu

to raise one's head

拿手ná shǒu

adept; expert; good at

桑拿sāng ná

Sauna

HSK 3.0 · L7-9

Hand Radical (手) FAQ

Common questions about the Hand radical (手) and how to use it for learning Chinese characters.

What is the Hand radical (手) in Chinese?

The Hand radical (手) is one of the 214 Kangxi radicals used to classify Chinese characters. It has 4 strokes and appears in 15 characters in our database, including 拿, 抬, 掰, 手, 承. Characters containing this radical often relate to "hand".

How many Chinese characters use the 手 radical?

There are 15 Chinese characters that use the Hand radical (手) in our database. Of these, 3 characters are included in the HSK vocabulary lists, making them essential for Chinese learners.

How do I write the 手 radical?

The Hand radical (手) consists of 4 strokes. To practice writing characters with this radical, click on any character in the list above to see its complete stroke order animation.

How does the 手 radical help me learn Chinese characters?

Knowing the Hand radical (手) helps in three ways: (1) Dictionary lookup — you can find characters by radical and remaining stroke count, (2) Meaning clues — characters with 手 often relate to "hand", helping you guess meanings of unfamiliar characters, (3) Memory aid — recognizing the radical as a building block makes it easier to remember and distinguish similar-looking characters.