二手

• Pinyin: èr shǒu
• Hanzi breakdown: 二 = two horizontal strokes representing the number two; 手 = pictograph of a hand

Meaning

Second-hand; used; pre-owned. Describing something that has been previously owned or used.

Very common in daily life for describing used goods: 二手房 (second-hand apartment), 二手车 (used car), 二手书 (second-hand book). Also used in 二手烟 (second-hand smoke). Online second-hand marketplaces are extremely popular in China.

Examples

1. 他在网上买了一辆二手车，价格很便宜。 He bought a second-hand car online at a very cheap price.
2. 这本二手书虽然旧了一点，但内容完好。 This second-hand book is a bit old, but the content is intact.
3. 二手房比新房便宜很多。 Second-hand apartments are much cheaper than new ones.

Usage Guide

Context: shopping, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你在哪里买的二手电脑？(Where did you buy the second-hand computer?)
• 二手市场上有很多好东西。(There are many good things at the second-hand market.)

Don't Say

• 用'二手'形容人 (Don't call a person 二手 — it's reserved for objects; calling someone 二手 is offensive as it implies they are 'used goods')

Origin & History

Calque from English 'second-hand.' 二 means second and 手 means hand, directly translating the English expression.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal