下手

Chinese

Pronunciation 1

Noun

下手

1. player whose turn comes next
2. (colloquial) assistant; aide

   我需要有人在我旁邊幫我打下手。 [MSC, trad.]
   我需要有人在我旁边帮我打下手。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ xūyào yǒu rén zài wǒ pángbiān bāng wǒ dǎxiàshǒu.

   I need someone by my side to help me.

3. Alternative form of 下首 (xiàshǒu, “side of lower priority or less honour”)

Synonyms

• (player): 下家 (xiàjiā)

Derived terms

Pronunciation 2

Verb

下手

1. to start doing something; to take action; to go about something

   我不知道如何下手。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   Wǒ bù zhīdào rúhé xiàshǒu.

   I don't know how to go about it.

2. to commit a crime/to initiate an ambush/sneak attack

   • 來到此處，東也無人，西也無人，這裡不下手，等甚麼？我隨身帶的有繩子。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     来到此处，东也无人，西也无人，这里不下手，等什么？我随身带的有绳子。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Yuan Dynasty, Guan Hanqing, The Injustice to Dou E

     Láidào cǐchù, dōng yě wúrén, xī yě wúrén, zhèlǐ bù xiàshǒu, děng shénme? Wǒ suíshēn dài de yǒu shéngzǐ.

     Arriving at this place, there's no one east and west, if we don't strike here, what are we waiting for? I have on me some rope.

Synonyms

• (to start doing something):

Derived terms

Japanese

Etymology 1

Probably a semantic shift from 端 (heta, “edge of something”), referring metaphorically to the edge of one's abilities or knowledge.

The kanji spelling appears to be an instance of jukujikun (熟字訓).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) へた​ (Odaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Adjective

下手(へた) • (heta) -na (adnominal 下手(へた)な (heta na), adverbial 下手(へた)に (heta ni))

1. unskilled, bad at, poor at, weak at, incompetent
2. superficial, halfhearted, half-assed, careless
3. smaller or lesser in degree

Inflection

Noun

下手(へた) • (heta) 

1. a mistake, a poor result, a screwup

   大(だい)事(じ)な所(ところ)で下手(へた)をやったな。

   Daiji na tokoro de heta o yatta na.

   Well, you really made a mistake right when it was important.

Verb

下手(へた)する • (heta suru) suru (stem 下手(へた)し (heta shi), past 下手(へた)した (heta shita))

1. to make a mistake, to screw up

Conjugation

Antonyms

• 上(じょう)手(ず) (jōzu)

Etymology 2

Compound of 下 (shita, “down; under; lower”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”).

Occasionally encountered with

sort=したで

rendaku (連濁), where the -te ending changes to -de.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) したて (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

• (Tokyo) したで (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

Adjective

下手(したで) • (shitade) -na (adnominal 下手(したで)な (shitade na), adverbial 下手(したで)に (shitade ni))

1. humble

Usage notes

The shitade reading is more common for the adjective sense.

Inflection

Noun

下(した)手(て) • (shitate) 

1. the lower part, especially downstream or downwind

   Synonym: (see below) 下手 (shimote)

   Antonym: 上手 (uwate)

2. someone at a disadvantage or lower relative to another person, in terms of rank or ability

   Antonym: 上手 (uwate)

3. (sumo) an underhand or lower hand hold, in which the wrestler's hand or arm is underneath or on the inside of the opponent's hand or arm

   Antonym: 上手 (uwate)

Derived terms

Etymology 3

Compound of 下 (shimo, “lower”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しもて (Heiban – )
• (Tokyo) しもて​ (Odaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

下(しも)手(て) • (shimote) 

1. downstream; the lower portion of a slope

   Antonym: 上手 (kamite)

2. (theater) downstage, specifically the left side of the stage as viewed from the audience

   Antonym: 上手 (kamite)

Etymology 4

Compound of 下り (kudari, “descending”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 下る (kudaru, “to descend, to go down”)) +‎ 手 (te, “hand; side, direction”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

下(くだり)手(て) • (kudarite) 

1. (uncommon) cheap, low-quality goods

   Synonym: 安物 (yasumono)

Etymology 5

From Middle Chinese 下手 (MC haeX|haeH syuwX).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

下(げ)手(しゅ) • (geshu) 

1. (uncommon) someone of low status or rank

Verb

下(げ)手(しゅ)する • (geshu suru) suru (stem 下(げ)手(しゅ)し (geshu shi), past 下(げ)手(しゅ)した (geshu shita))

1. (uncommon) to lower one's hand onto something, to set one's hand onto something

Conjugation

References