手
| Property |
Value |
| Meaning |
hand |
| Strokes |
4 |
| JLPT Level |
N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) |
シュ、ズ |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) |
て |
| Radical |
手 (て・てへん) U+624B |
Stroke Order
The character 手 follows standard Japanese calligraphy rules, moving from top to bottom and left to right.
- Stroke 1: The short horizontal stroke at the top, slightly slanted upwards.
- Stroke 2: The second horizontal stroke, shorter than the first, placed below it.
- Stroke 3: The third horizontal stroke, the longest of the three, slightly curved.
- Stroke 4: The vertical stroke that starts from the top, curves slightly to the left, and ends with a hook (hane) at the bottom.
Radical Analysis
The kanji 手 is its own radical (部首). When used as a component on the left side of other kanji, it changes shape to 扌 (known as te-hen). It represents the human hand and arm. Because the hand is the primary tool for human interaction, this radical is found in many kanji related to physical actions, such as 打 (hit), 持 (hold), and 指 (finger).
Mnemonic
Imagine the kanji 手 is a stick-figure drawing of a hand. The three horizontal lines are the fingers, and the vertical line with the hook is the thumb tucked in or the wrist. Alternatively, visualize a person waving: the top lines are the fingers, and the vertical line is the arm reaching up to say "hello!"
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
シュ (shu)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 手段 |
しゅだん |
shudan |
means / way |
| 手術 |
しゅじゅつ |
shujutsu |
surgery |
| 助手 |
じょしゅ |
joshu |
assistant |
| 手腕 |
しゅわん |
shuwan |
ability / skill |
ズ (zu)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 下手 |
へた |
heta |
unskillful (Note: irregular reading) |
| 上手 |
じょうず |
jouzu |
skillful |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
て (te)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 手紙 |
てがみ |
tegami |
letter |
| 手伝う |
てつだう |
tetsudau |
to help |
| 手洗い |
てあらい |
tearai |
restroom / hand washing |
JLPT N5 Words Using 手
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 手 |
て |
te |
hand |
N5 |
| 手紙 |
てがみ |
tegami |
letter |
N5 |
| 手伝う |
てつだう |
tetsudau |
to help |
N5 |
| 上手 |
じょうず |
jouzu |
skillful |
N5 |
| 下手 |
へた |
heta |
unskillful |
N5 |
| 手洗い |
てあらい |
tearai |
restroom |
N5 |
| 切手 |
きって |
kitte |
postage stamp |
N5 |
| 手袋 |
てぶくろ |
tebukuro |
gloves |
N4 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 手を洗ってください。 |
てをあらってください。 |
Te o aratte kudasai. |
Please wash your hands. |
| 彼はピアノが上手です。 |
かれはピアノがじょうずです。 |
Kare wa piano ga jouzu desu. |
He is good at the piano. |
| 手紙を書きました。 |
てがみをかきました。 |
Tegami o kakimashita. |
I wrote a letter. |
| 宿題を手伝ってください。 |
しゅくだいをおてつだいしてください。 |
Shukudai o tetsudatte kudasai. |
Please help me with my homework. |
| 私は料理が下手です。 |
わたしはりょうりがへたです。 |
Watashi wa ryouri ga heta desu. |
I am bad at cooking. |
| 手術は成功しました。 |
しゅじゅつはせいこうしました。 |
Shujutsu wa seikou shimashita. |
The surgery was successful. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji |
Reading |
Meaning |
How to distinguish |
| 手 |
て |
hand |
Has a hook (hane) at the bottom. |
| 毛 |
もう / け |
hair |
The top stroke is a horizontal line, but the structure is different; it looks like a tuft of fur. |
| 千 |
せん |
thousand |
Only 3 strokes; the vertical line does not have a hook. |
Usage Frequency Note
手 is one of the most frequently used kanji in the Japanese language. It appears in countless everyday nouns, verbs, and idiomatic expressions. Because it is a fundamental building block for action-oriented kanji, mastering its stroke order and recognition is essential for any beginner. It is equally common in formal writing and casual daily conversation.