手回し

• Reading: てまわし
• Romaji: temawashi
• Kanji breakdown: 手 (te/shu) — hand; 回 (kai/mawa) — turn, rotate, revolve
• Pronunciation: /te.ma.wa.ɕi/

Meaning

Turning by hand; making preparations in advance. Describes hand-operated devices or advance arrangements.

A noun with two main uses: (1) literally, something operated by hand — 手回しオルガン (hand-cranked organ), 手回し充電器 (hand-crank charger), and (2) figuratively, making preparations or arrangements in advance — 手回しがいい (well-prepared, having arranged things ahead of time). The figurative sense implies shrewd, proactive planning. Functions as a no-adjective when modifying nouns.

Examples

1. 手回しの発電機で携帯を充電した。 I charged my phone with a hand-crank generator.
2. 彼女は手回しがよくて会議の準備が完璧だった。 She's well-organized and had the meeting preparations perfectly in order.
3. 災害用に手回しラジオを買っておいた。 I bought a hand-crank radio for emergencies.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, disaster preparedness, business

Tone: practical

Origin & History

From native Japanese: 手 (te, hand) + 回し (mawashi, turning/rotating). Originally described the physical act of turning something by hand, later extending metaphorically to the idea of 'turning things around' in advance — preparing or arranging ahead of time.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal