han
A1Neutral
Definition
Meaning
The end part of the human arm below the wrist, consisting of the palm, fingers, and thumb, used for grasping, holding, and manipulating.
A broad range of meanings including assistance, possession, skill, involvement in an action, the cards held by a player, a worker, a round of applause, handwriting, a pointer on a clock, a pledge, or a unit of measurement.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A polysemous word with both concrete (body part) and highly abstract figurative uses ('to hand in a report', 'to have a hand in something'). Often used in idioms and phrasal verbs.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor spelling differences in derived words (e.g., 'handoff' US vs 'hand-off' UK). Phrasing differences in some contexts (e.g., 'at hand' UK, 'on hand' US can be equivalent). Use of 'give a hand' for applause is slightly more common in UK. Measurement ('hand' for horse height) is used in both.
Connotations
Largely identical. 'Hands' in manual labour contexts can carry similar class connotations. 'Farmhand' is common in both.
Frequency
Core meaning and most figurative uses are equally frequent. The phrase 'lend a hand' might be slightly more common in UK English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
hand someone somethinghand something to someonehave a hand in somethingget out of handVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “give someone a hand”
- “out of hand”
- “hand in glove”
- “live from hand to mouth”
- “wash one's hands of”
- “have one's hands full”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Involvement ('He had a hand in the deal.'), delivery ('hand over the documents'), workforce ('factory hands').
Academic
Used in discussions of agency ('the invisible hand of the market'), skill ('a deft hand at analysis'), or sources ('first-hand account').
Everyday
Most common usage for the body part, help ('Can you lend a hand?'), and basic actions ('hand me the salt').
Technical
Measurement for horses (~4 inches), a pointer on a dial, the set of cards in a game, a worker in specific trades ('deck hand', 'ranch hand').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Please hand the memo to the director.
- The trophy will be handed to the winner.
American English
- Hand me the remote, please.
- The suspect was handed over to the FBI.
adverb
British English
- This letter was delivered hand.
- (Rare; 'hand' as adverb is archaic outside specific phrases)
American English
- (Adverbial use is largely obsolete or highly specialized)
adjective
British English
- He suffered a hand injury.
- It's a hand-built model.
American English
- We offer hand sanitizer.
- It's a hand-me-down jacket from my brother.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I write with my right hand.
- He has a big book in his hand.
- Give me your hand, please.
- Could you give me a hand with these bags?
- On one hand, I want to go; on the other hand, I'm tired.
- She handed her homework to the teacher.
- The negotiations are getting out of hand.
- He has a hand in running the family business.
- The clock's minute hand was broken.
- The government's heavy-handed approach provoked a backlash.
- She played her hand skillfully during the merger talks.
- The report is based on first-hand testimony from survivors.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
You HOLD AND DO things with your HAND. Remember the 'and' in the middle.
Conceptual Metaphor
Control is holding in the hand (e.g., 'The situation is in hand.'). Time is a moving hand (clock hands). Assistance/agency is a hand (e.g., 'the hand of fate', 'a helping hand').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'head' (голова).
- Russian 'рука' includes the arm; English 'hand' is only from the wrist down.
- The idiom 'give a hand' means to applaud or help, not just to give literally.
- 'On the one hand... on the other hand' is a discourse marker, not about physical hands.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect prepositions: 'in my hand' (when holding) vs 'on my hand' (something sitting on the surface).
- Using 'hand' to mean the whole arm.
- Confusing 'hand in' (submit) with 'hand out' (distribute).
Practice
Quiz
What does the idiom 'wash your hands of something' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Hand in' usually means to submit something to an authority (e.g., homework, resignation). 'Hand over' implies transferring possession or control, often under request or demand (e.g., money, a prisoner, power).
It is usually plural when referring to the body parts of one person ('My hands are cold'). It is singular ('hand') when referring to one body part, a helping action, or in many idiomatic uses ('Give me a hand').
Yes, very commonly. It means to pass or give something to someone using your hand (e.g., 'She handed me the keys'). It forms many phrasal verbs (hand out, hand in, hand over, hand down).
It has two main meanings: 1) Not new; previously owned by someone else (e.g., a second-hand car). 2) (Of information) Not experienced directly but obtained from another source (e.g., second-hand news).