下手

• Pinyin: xià shǒu
• Hanzi breakdown: 下 = to apply, place; 手 = pictograph of a hand with fingers — to put one's hand to an act

Meaning

To start; to act; to take action in a decisive or targeted way. Also: to commit an act of violence or crime. Used both for initiating a task and for carrying out a physical or harmful act.

Dual meaning: (1) neutral — to start working on something or make a move (无从下手 = don't know where to begin); (2) negative — to commit an act of violence, crime, or underhanded action. Context determines which sense applies. Common patterns: 无从下手 (have no idea where to start), 对某人下手 (to make a move against someone).

Examples

1. 这道综合性数学题涉及多个知识点，初学者往往感到无从下手，需要教师系统引导解题思路。 This comprehensive math problem involves multiple concepts, and beginners often don’t know where to start and need a teacher to guide their problem-solving approach.
2. 侦探分析了嫌疑人的行动轨迹，推断出凶手是在被害者独自返家的途中下手的。 After analyzing the suspect’s movements, the detective concluded that the killer struck while the victim was walking home alone.
3. 他在策划了数周之后终于决定下手，一口气向五家潜力客户发出了详细的合作提案。 After weeks of planning, he finally decided to make a move and sent detailed partnership proposals to five promising clients in one go.

Usage Guide

Context: task initiation, crime, strategy

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 面对结构庞杂的课题，许多新人不知如何下手，这说明立项时先做文献梳理很重要。(Faced with a complex topic, many newcomers do not know how to begin, which shows that literature review is crucial at the project-planning stage.)
• 警方发现，嫌犯专挑监控盲区下手，说明他事先踩点充分，也有反侦查意识。(Police found that the suspect chose to strike in a surveillance blind spot, showing careful prior scouting and anti-investigation awareness.)

Don't Say

• 下手 when simply meaning 'to begin' in formal written contexts — use 着手 or 开始; 下手 is more colloquial and often implies decisive, sometimes aggressive action; 着手 is the neutral formal equivalent for starting a task

Origin & History

下 (to apply, place) + 手 (hand) — to put one's hand to something; to take action using one's hands

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal