手枪

• Pinyin: shǒu qiāng
• Hanzi breakdown: 手 = a pictograph of a hand (held in the hand); 枪 = 木 + 仓 (originally wood + store — a wooden spear, later extended to mean firearm)

Meaning

Pistol; handgun. A small firearm designed to be held and fired with one hand.

The standard term for a pistol or handgun. Common in legal, military, law enforcement, and crime-related contexts. Key collocations: 配备手枪 (to be issued a pistol), 拔出手枪 (to draw a pistol), 上膛的手枪 (a loaded/cocked pistol), 非法持有手枪 (illegal possession of a handgun). In China, civilian firearm ownership is strictly prohibited; 手枪 therefore appears primarily in military, police, criminal, and fictional contexts. Contrast: 步枪 (rifle); 机枪 (machine gun); 猎枪 (shotgun).

Examples

1. 警方搜查地下室时查获两支改装手枪、弹药和零件，认定团伙有非法改枪售枪链条。 When police searched the basement, they found two modified handguns, ammunition, and parts, and concluded the gang had an illegal chain for modifying and selling guns.
2. 小说里，她在对峙时从袖中抽出一支袖珍手枪，瞬间打破僵局，成了经典场面。 In the novel, she drew a small pocket handgun from her sleeve during the standoff, instantly breaking the deadlock and creating a classic scene.
3. 训练中，手枪实弹射击不仅看命中率，还重视拔枪速度、持枪姿势和临机判断。 In training, live-fire handgun shooting is judged not only by accuracy, but also by draw speed, shooting posture, and quick judgment.

Usage Guide

Context: law enforcement, military, crime, fiction, legal

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在涉枪法律中，手枪的定义和合法持有条件必须符合法规，执法时也要区分合法配枪和非法私藏。(In gun-related laws, the definition of a pistol and the conditions for legal possession must comply with regulations, and law enforcement must also distinguish between legal issuance and illegal private possession.)
• 影视制作中，手枪道具必须遵守片场安全规程，武器管理员全程监管领取、使用和归还，确保可追溯。(In film and television production, pistol props must follow on-set safety rules, and the armorer must supervise checkout, use, and return throughout to ensure traceability.)

Don't Say

• 手枪 loosely for any firearm — be specific about the weapon type; 手枪 refers specifically to a pistol (a compact one-handed firearm), not to rifles (步枪), shotguns (猎枪), or submachine guns (冲锋枪); imprecise usage can cause serious ambiguity in legal or technical contexts

Origin & History

手 (hand) + 枪 (firearm, gun — 木 wood + 仓 granary/store, originally referring to a spear or lance, later extended to firearms)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal