下手 (xià shǒu) — how to say "to start doing something" in Chinese

下手

To start doing something

verb

Character composition

下

down; under

手

hand

Radicals / Keys

手

Hand

#64 · shǒu · 4 strokes

一

One

#1 · yī · 1 stroke

Collocations

从基础下手

cóng jī chǔ xià shǒu

to start with the basics

Examples

这件事很难下手,需要计划。

This matter is hard to start; a plan is needed.

他先下手了。

He started first.

Writing

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say "to start doing something" in Chinese?

"to start doing something" in Chinese is 下手 (xià shǒu).

下手 meaning in English

下手 (xià shǒu) means "To start doing something".

How is 下手 pronounced?

It is pronounced xià shǒu (written as xia shou, xiashou). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.

How do you write "to start doing something" in Chinese characters?

It is written 下手: 下 has 3 strokes, 手 has 4 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.

What HSK 3.0 level is 下手?

下手 is on the HSK 3.0 levels 7–9 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.

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More HSK 3.0 levels 7–9 words