两手 liǎngshǒu one's two hands
one's two hands; two prongs (of a strategy); both aspects, eventualities etc; skills; expertise
How to remember 两手: 两 two + 手 hand = one's two hands.
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How it is used
- Beyond 'two hands', figuratively 'two prongs/approaches' or 'a real skill' - 两手准备 (liǎngshǒu zhǔnbèi) to prepare for both outcomes; 两手抓 (liǎngshǒu zhuā) to work on two fronts at once.
- Also 'to have skill': 有两手 is like 有两下子, knowing one's stuff.
- The '两手准备 / 两手抓' collocations (contingency planning) are the ones to remember.