入手 rùshǒu to begin
to begin (with ...) (typically used in a structure such as 从 + {noun} + 入手: "to begin with {noun}; to take {noun} as one's starting point"); to receive; to obtain; to buy
How to remember 入手: 入 enter + 手 hand = to begin.
Characters
How it is used
- 'To start from / take as a starting point' - you approach a problem 从…入手 (cóng…rùshǒu): 从基础入手 (cóng jīchǔ rùshǒu) to begin with the fundamentals.
- It marks the angle of attack on a task, not a physical start; 无从入手 (wúcóng rùshǒu) means 'not knowing where to begin'.
- In consumer slang it also means 'to buy/acquire' a coveted item: 入手了一台新相机 (got myself a new camera).