起手

qǐshǒu
verb

Meanings

  1. 1 to start / to begin doing
  2. 2 opening hand (mahjong, cards)
  3. 3 opening move

Examples

Wǒ qǐshǒu jiù mōdào yí duì dōngfēng.
My opening hand already had a pair of east winds.
Zuò cài yào qǐshǒu jiù bǎ cōng jiāng suàn zhǔnbèi hǎo.
When you cook, have the scallions, ginger, and garlic prepped from the start.

Tips

usage
In mahjong (麻将) and poker, 起手 refers to the opening tiles or hand. In general speech it means 'at the outset' or 'to begin'. Don't confuse with 出手 (to take action / to spend).

Stroke Order

shǒu