第一手

• Pinyin: dì yī shǒu
• Hanzi breakdown: 第 = 竹 + 弟 (ordinal prefix); 一 = horizontal stroke (one); 手 = pictograph of a hand

Meaning

First-hand; direct. Obtained directly from the original source without intermediary.

Used as an attributive adjective before nouns: 第一手资料 (first-hand data/sources), 第一手信息 (first-hand information), 第一手经验 (first-hand experience). Stresses the authenticity and directness of the source, important in research, journalism, and legal contexts.

Examples

1. 记者深入灾区，收集第一手的受灾情况报告，以确保报道的真实性与客观性。 The reporter went deep into the disaster area to gather firsthand reports on the damage, to ensure the coverage was truthful and objective.
2. 这部历史著作引用了大量第一手档案文献，具有极高的学术价值。 This historical work cites a large number of firsthand archival documents and has extremely high academic value.
3. 田野调查所获得的第一手数据，往往比二手文献更能反映真实的社会状况。 Firsthand data obtained through fieldwork often reflects real social conditions better than secondary sources.

Usage Guide

Context: research, journalism, legal, academia

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 作为长期驻扎当地的研究员，她掌握了大量第一手田野数据，为学界填补了重要的研究空白。(As a long-term locally stationed researcher, she has accumulated extensive first-hand field data, filling an important gap in academic research.)
• 律师强调，法庭应优先采信第一手证人证词，而非依赖间接推断。(The lawyer emphasised that the court should prioritise first-hand witness testimony over relying on indirect inference.)

Don't Say

• 第一手的手 — redundant; 第一手 already contains 手; say 第一手资料 or 第一手来源

Origin & History

第一 (first) + 手 (hand) — from the first hand

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal