手槍 / 手枪
shǒuqiāng
The English phrase "gun" is translated into Chinese as 手槍 / 手枪 (shǒuqiāng). Wiktionary also lists 槍 / 枪 (qiāng).
Meaning: portable, short weapon, for hand use (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 手槍 / 手枪 | shǒuqiāng |
| 槍 / 枪 | qiāng |
The term is used to refer to a portable, short weapon intended for hand use.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 手槍 / 手枪 is composed of 手 (hand) and 槍 / 枪 (gun/spear), literally meaning 'hand gun'.
Which one should you use?
手槍 / 手枪 is used specifically for handguns, whereas 槍 / 枪 is a more general term for any gun or firearm.
How do you pronounce it?
shǒuqiāng
What mistakes should you avoid?
Note that 槍 / 枪 can also mean 'spear' in historical or traditional contexts. However, in modern usage, it primarily refers to firearms.
Did you know?
- The character 槍 / 枪 contains the radical 木, which means 'wood'. This reflects that the earliest weapons called 槍 were wooden spears before metal tips became common.
- In traditional Chinese martial arts, the 槍 is considered the 'King of all Weapons'. This refers to the long spear, which required immense skill to master compared to other weapons.
- Chinese uses the word 槍 / 枪 to describe things that are not weapons, such as a 'glue gun' (熱熔槍) or a 'spray gun' (噴槍).
Examples in context
- 他拿起手枪保护了自己。He picked up the gun to protect himself.
- 这款手枪非常精确。This handgun is very accurate.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gun” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 槍, CC BY-SA 4.0.
