手脚 shǒujiǎo hand and foot
hand and foot; movement of limbs; action; trick; step in a procedure
How to remember 手脚: 手 hand + 脚 foot = hand and foot.
Characters
How it is used
- Literally hands and feet / limb movements - 手脚麻利 (shǒujiǎo málì) quick and deft.
- Idiomatically 'a trick / underhanded move': 做手脚 (zuò shǒujiǎo) to tamper with / rig something secretly.
- Watch context: 手脚 alone can mean bodily movement, but 做手脚 always means to fiddle/cheat behind the scenes.
Example sentences
- 他撞车是因为有人在刹车上做了手脚。 Tā zhuàngchē shìyīnwèi yǒurén zài shāchē shàng zuò le shǒujiǎo.He crashed his car because someone tampered with the brakes.