手艺

• Pinyin: shǒu yì
• Desglose de hanzi: 手 = a pictograph of a hand (skill practised by hand); 艺 = originally 艹 + 云 (a person cultivating plants — skilled cultivation, extended to mastered art)

Significado

Oficio artesanal; destreza manual.

Refers to a skilled trade or craft practised by hand, typically one passed down through apprenticeship or long practice. Carries strong connotations of tradition, authenticity, and mastery. Common collocations: 祖传手艺 (ancestral craft passed down through generations), 手艺人 (craftsperson/artisan), 手艺精湛 (superb craftsmanship), 学手艺 (to learn a trade). In modern discourse, 手艺 is often associated with intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) and the values of slow, deliberate, skilled work. Contrast: 技术 (technology/technique — broader, including modern industrial skills); 技能 (skill — more neutral and less artisanal).

Ejemplos

1. 这位七十二岁的老木匠十四岁学做榫卯手艺，半个多世纪后仍能不用一颗钉子做出精密家具。
2. 工业化普及后，许多民间传统手艺因后继无人濒临失传，当地已将十三项列入省级非遗名录。
3. 餐厅招牌菜源自主厨三十年前学来的手艺，配方和步骤至今仍按当年的口耳相传方式执行。

Guía de uso

Contexto: craft, tradition, cultural heritage, food, artisans

Tono: appreciative

Correcto

• 非遗保护中，真正紧迫的是让年轻人愿意花时间学会一门传统手艺，因为手艺贵在活态传承。(In intangible cultural heritage protection, the truly urgent task is to get young people willing to spend time learning a traditional craft, because a craft's value lies in living transmission.)
• 评判厨师的实力，关键不在食材昂贵，而在处理普通原料时能否凭手艺做出难忘风味。(When judging a chef's skill, the key is not the price of the ingredients, but whether they can use their craft to create unforgettable flavour from ordinary ingredients.)

Incorrecto

• 手艺 for high-tech or purely cognitive skills — use 技术 (technology/technical skill) or 技能 (skill/competency); 手艺 specifically implies hands-on craft skills learned through practice and often associated with traditional trades, and is inappropriate for describing software engineering, financial analysis, or other primarily mental or digital competencies

Origen e historia

手 (hand) + 艺 (art, skill — 艹 grass/plants + 云 cloud, originally depicting a person planting, suggesting cultivated skill)

Contexto cultural

Generación: All ages

Contexto social: Universal