空手

kōngshǒu

adverb #6,474

Meanings

1 empty-handed
2 bare-handed
3 with nothing

Characters

Examples

你不能空手去别人家。

Nǐ bùnéng kōngshǒu qù biérén jiā.

You can't go to someone's home empty-handed.

他空手抓住了那条蛇。

Tā kōngshǒu zhuāzhù le nà tiáo shé.

He caught that snake bare-handed.

Tips

culture

In Chinese culture, visiting someone's home 空手 (empty-handed) is considered impolite. Always bring a gift like fruit or tea.

usage

空手道 (kōngshǒudào) means 'karate' — literally 'empty-hand way.'

Stroke Order

空 kōng

手 shǒu