---
title: "Dongshou Meaning: 动手 (dòngshǒu) Means “to hit”"
description: "动手 (traditional 動手, dòngshǒu) means “to hit; to come to blows”. Hear its tones, see what 动 and 手 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/dongshou"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 动手 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

动手 dòngshǒu

## to hit; to come to blows

## It can also mean

- to start work; to get going
- to touch; to handle

## Its characters

1. 动 dòng to touch (with the hand)
2. 手 shǒu hand

## In a sentence

你是动手能力强的人吗？ Are you a hands-on person?

黑熊精还想**动手**，观音把一个金箍扔到他的头上，念起了咒语。

From [黑熊精 · The Black Bear Demon](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-black-bear-demon-journey-to-the-west-intermediate-chinese-14#library-word-813-815)

[More about 动手](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8A%A8%E6%89%8B)

## More words with 动 or 手

- [把手 bǎshou](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/bashou)
- [被动 bèidòng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/beidong)
- [变动 biàndòng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/biandong)
- [波动 bōdòng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/bodong)
- [不动产 bùdòngchǎn](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/budongchan)
- [冲动 chōngdòng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/chongdong)
- [出动 chūdòng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/chudong)
- [打动 dǎdòng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/dadong)
- [带动 dàidòng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/daidong)
- [电动 diàndòng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/diandong)

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[How it compares with Pleco](https://mandarinthewild.com/compare/pleco)