L15. Daily Japanese Kanji — Lesson 15: 手
Days 11-20
R-report
[Day 15] 手 - hand
The character 手 originally depicts a hand and is used for literal hands and many actions or tools involving the hand (skills, helpers, handling). You'll see it in everyday words like 'letter' (hand + paper), 'glove' (hand + clothing), and verbs that involve helping or using hands. Readings: - On'yomi: シュ (shu) — common in compounds such as 手術（しゅじゅつ / shujutsu, “surgery”）and 洗手 (rare); used when 手 is part of Sino‑Japanese compounds. - Kun'yomi: て (te), た (ta) — used for the native words like 手紙（てがみ / tegami, “letter”）and verbs like 手伝う（てつだう / tetsudau, “to help”）. Mnemonic tip: Picture a simple drawn hand — the top stroke is the wrist, the vertical is the palm, and the side strokes are fingers. Thinking “te = hand” helps link the shape to the basic meaning.
Readings
On'yomi: **シュ (手)** (shu) Kun'yomi: **て / た (手)** (te / ta)
Related words
- 手（て / te） — hand - 私は彼の**手**を握った。 (Watashi wa kare no **te** o nigitta. — I held his hand.)
- 手紙（てがみ / tegami） — letter - 彼女は私に**手紙**を書いた。 (Kanojo wa watashi ni **tegami** o kaita. — She wrote me a letter.)
- 手伝う（てつだう / tetsudau） — to help - 明日、友達を**手伝う**予定です。 (Ashita, tomodachi o **tetsudau** yotei desu. — I plan to help my friend tomorrow.)
- 手袋（てぶくろ / tebukuro） — glove - 寒いから**手袋**をして出かけます。 (Samui kara **tebukuro** o shite dekakemasu. — I'll wear gloves because it's cold.)
- 手首（てくび / tekubi） — wrist - 彼は**手首**をひねってしまった。 (Kare wa **tekubi** o hinette shimatta. — He twisted his wrist.)