How to Say "Hand" in Japanese

手

te[te̞]

The English word 'hand' is translated into Japanese as 手.

手 is the standard noun for 'hand'. In many common Japanese expressions, it is used to refer to both the hand and the forearm.

Meaning: part of the fore limb (noun)

How do you pronounce it?

The word 手 appears in the term 手先, which refers to 'fingertips' but can also be used to describe a low-level agent or a henchman.
The term 手 is often used in Japanese games like Go or Shogi to refer to a 'move' made by a player.
Adding the suffix 手 to certain nouns can transform the word into a person who performs that action, such as 運転手 for a 'driver'.

手を下げろ。
Put your hand down.
This example is useful for practicing the command to put your 手 down.
Tatoeba #138761 by KK_kaku_, translation #425430 by blay_paul
手伝おうか？
Do you need a hand?
This example shows how to offer a 手 to someone.
Tatoeba #3878008 by tommy_san, translation #1886073 by CK
手を見せて。
Show me your hand.
This example is used for asking someone to show their 手.
Tatoeba #8764392 by small_snow, translation #3454009 by Hybrid
私の手は冷たいです。
My hands are cold.
彼は手を洗います。
He washes his hands.
手を差し伸べましょう。
Let's lend a helping hand.
彼女は手で料理を作ります。
She cooks with her hands.
手をつないで歩きましょう。
Let's walk holding hands.
288 more sentences on Tatoeba

Himari and Yota are washing their hands before dinner.

陽葵 Himari

陽太、ちゃんと手を洗った？
Yōta, chanto te o aratta?
Yota, did you wash your hands properly?
陽太 Yota

うん、もう洗ったよ。
Un, mō aratta yo.
Yeah, I already washed them.
陽葵 Himari

じゃあ、手を見せてみて。
Jā, te o misete mite.
Then, let me see your hands.
陽太 Yota

はい、どうぞ。
Hai, dōzo.
Here you go.

Sources

Wiktionary, “hand” translations and entries 手, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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