身手

shēnshǒu
noun #8,140

Meanings

  1. 1 skill; ability (especially physical)
  2. 2 prowess; agility

Characters

Body and hands — physical ability and dexterity.

Examples

Tā shēnshǒu mǐnjié, yīxiàzi jiù fān guò le wéiqiáng.
He was agile and vaulted over the wall in an instant.
Zhè wèi wǔshùjiā shēnshǒu bùfán.
This martial artist has extraordinary skills.
Tā zhōngyú yǒu jīhuì dàxiǎn shēnshǒu le.
She finally got a chance to show off her abilities.

Tips

usage
身手 often appears in set phrases: 身手敏捷 (agile), 身手不凡 (extraordinary skill), 大显身手 (to fully display one's abilities). It emphasizes physical or martial skill rather than intellectual ability.
memory
Think of (body) + (hand) — your body and hands working together means physical skill and agility.

Stroke Order

shēn
shǒu