手品

• Reading: てじな
• Romaji: tejina
• Kanji breakdown: 手 (shu/te) — hand; 品 (hin/shina) — goods, items
• Pronunciation: /te.dʑi.na/

Meaning

Magic trick; conjuring trick; sleight of hand.

A noun for magic tricks and illusions performed for entertainment. Literally 'hand goods' — things done skilfully by hand. Common expressions: 手品を見せる (tejina wo miseru, to show a magic trick), 手品師 (tejina-shi, magician). Refers to close-up magic and stage magic alike. The more formal/modern term is マジック (majikku).

Examples

1. 子供たちの前で手品を見せたら大喜びだった。 When I showed magic tricks in front of the kids, they were thrilled.
2. 彼は手品が上手で、コインを消すことができる。 He's so good at magic tricks that he can make coins disappear.
3. テレビで有名な手品師のショーを見た。 I watched a show by a famous magician on TV.

Usage Guide

Context: entertainment, hobbies, performance

Tone: playful

Origin & History

Compound of 手 (te, hand) and 品 (shina, goods/items). The image is of skilful things produced by the hands — tricks and illusions created through manual dexterity.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal