亲手

• Pinyin: qīn shǒu
• Hanzi breakdown: 亲 = 立 + 木 + 见 (personally); 手 = 手 (hand)

Meaning

With one's own hands; personally and directly, without delegating to others.

Emphasises that an action was performed directly by the person mentioned. Conveys sincerity, care, or personal responsibility. Common in contexts of cooking, crafting, writing letters, or delivering important items.

Examples

1. 母亲亲手为女儿缝制了一件婚纱，每一针都饱含深情。 The mother sewed a wedding dress for her daughter with her own hands, every stitch filled with deep love.
2. 他亲手将那封重要的信件交到了收件人手中。 He personally delivered that important letter into the recipient’s hands.
3. 这幅画是她亲手完成的，每一笔都倾注了无数心血。 She completed this painting by hand, pouring countless effort into every stroke.

Usage Guide

Context: craftsmanship, personal effort, gift-giving

Tone: sincere

Do Say

• 他亲手为父母烹制了一顿丰盛的生日晚宴，令二老感动不已。(He personally cooked a lavish birthday dinner for his parents, deeply moving them.)
• 这份手工礼品是她亲手制作的，意义非凡，令收礼者珍视至今。(This handmade gift was crafted by her own hands, making it extraordinarily meaningful — the recipient has treasured it ever since.)

Don't Say

• 他亲手命令士兵撤退 — use 亲自下令 for issuing verbal commands; 亲手 implies a manual, physical action, not a spoken order

Origin & History

亲 (personally) + 手 (hand) — by one's own hand

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal