着手

• Pinyin: zhuó shǒu
• Hanzi breakdown: 着 = 羊 + 目 (begin); 手 = hand radical (hand)

Meaning

To start; to set about; to begin working on. To commence action on a task or project.

Indicates the beginning of actual work on something, often after planning or preparation. Implies moving from preparation to execution. Common in professional and project management contexts.

Examples

1. 我们已经着手准备明年的计划。 We’ve already started preparing next year’s plan.
2. 设计团队正在着手开发新产品。 The design team is starting work on developing a new product.
3. 他决定着手写一本小说。 He decided to start writing a novel.

Usage Guide

Context: work, projects, planning

Tone: action-oriented

Do Say

• 项目批准后，我们立即着手实施。(After the project was approved, we immediately began implementation.)
• 是时候着手解决这个长期存在的问题了。(It's time to start addressing this long-standing problem.)

Don't Say

• 着手吃饭 — 着手 is for beginning work or tasks, not routine activities

Origin & History

着 (to apply, to begin) + 手 (hand)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal