Explanation at your level:
When you want to start a job, you use 着手. It means 'to start.' You can say, 'I will start the work now.' In Chinese, this is '我准备着手工作了。' It is a great word to show you are ready to be busy.
You use 着手 when you have a plan and you are beginning the first step. It is more formal than just saying '开始' (start). It sounds like you are a professional who knows what to do next.
At this level, you will use 着手 to describe the initiation of projects. It is very common in office emails. For instance, 'We will 着手 the project next week.' It suggests that you have finished the planning phase and are now moving into the execution phase.
Using 着手 shows you understand the nuance between 'starting' (开始) and 'tackling' (着手). While '开始' is generic, '着手' implies a systematic approach. It is often used with tasks that require investigation, research, or complex problem-solving.
In advanced writing, 着手 is the preferred term for project initiation. It carries an air of competence. You might use it in reports, such as 'The committee has 着手 drafting the new policy.' It conveys that the action is deliberate, planned, and official.
Mastery of 着手 involves understanding its collocation with abstract nouns. It is not just for physical labor; it applies to policy, strategy, and intellectual inquiry. Its etymological roots in 'placing hands' inform its usage in high-level discourse regarding the 'hands-on' management of complex societal or organizational issues.
Palavra em 30 segundos
- Means to start a task.
- More formal than 开始.
- Requires a human agent.
- Common in business.
When you use 着手 (zhuó shǒu), you are talking about the moment you stop thinking and start doing. It is the bridge between intention and action. Think of it as the 'go' signal for any project.
In a professional or academic setting, 着手 implies a sense of purpose. You aren't just starting; you are beginning a process that requires effort, focus, and a plan. It is a very common term in business meetings or project management.
The word 着手 is a classic compound. The character 着 (zhuó) means to touch, apply, or put on, while 手 (shǒu) means hand. Literally, it means 'to put one's hand to something.'
Historically, this imagery comes from manual labor. In ancient times, before you could build a house or till a field, you had to physically place your hands on the tools. This metaphorical 'hand-on' approach evolved into the abstract meaning of starting any complex task.
You will most often see 着手 followed by a noun or a verb phrase indicating the task. For example, 着手准备 (start preparing) or 着手调查 (start an investigation).
It is generally used in formal or neutral contexts. While you might say 'I'm starting my work' in casual English, in Chinese, 着手 adds a layer of professional commitment that sounds much more serious and organized.
1. 着手成春: To bring spring back; used to describe a doctor with miraculous healing powers. 2. 着手不凡: To show great skill from the very beginning of a task. 3. 先着手: To get a head start. 4. 着手处理: To begin dealing with a problem. 5. 着手实施: To begin the implementation phase.
着手 is a transitive verb. It frequently takes a verb as its object. The pronunciation is zhuó shǒu. Note that zhuó is the first tone, while shǒu is the third tone.
It is not usually used in the imperative form (you wouldn't command someone '着手!' like 'Start!'). Instead, it is used to describe an ongoing or planned action, often paired with time markers like 准备 (prepare) or 已经 (already).
Fun Fact
The character '着' is a polyphone (duoyinzi).
Pronunciation Guide
Standard Mandarin tones
Standard Mandarin tones
Common Errors
- Tone of zhuo
- Tone of shou
- Vowel clarity
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Moderate
Moderate
Moderate
Moderate
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Avançado
Grammar to Know
Verb-Object Structure
着手工作
Tones
zhuó shǒu
Polyphones
着
Examples by Level
我准备着手工作了。
I prepare start work.
Subject + verb + object
我们明天着手做这件事。
请着手准备会议资料。
他已经着手调查了。
公司决定着手改革。
我们必须着手解决这个问题。
她着手写她的论文。
他们着手建立新系统。
老师着手批改作业。
项目组已经着手评估风险。
政府着手制定新法规。
我们着手处理客户投诉。
请着手安排行程。
他着手整理旧文件。
团队着手设计方案。
部门着手进行审计。
我们着手准备演讲稿。
专家着手研究这一现象。
警方着手搜集证据。
委员会着手起草协议。
我们需要着手优化流程。
他着手修复受损部分。
团队着手执行计划。
公司着手扩大规模。
我们着手分析数据。
当局着手清理受灾地区。
研究人员着手验证假设。
公司着手重组架构。
他着手解决财务危机。
我们着手评估长期影响。
团队着手开发新产品。
政府着手改善基础设施。
专家着手撰写报告。
国家着手推行深层改革。
该组织着手进行全球扩张。
他们着手应对气候变化。
委员会着手审查历史档案。
他着手构建理论框架。
团队着手实施转型战略。
我们着手解决系统性问题。
专家着手分析复杂变量。
Colocações comuns
Idioms & Expressions
"着手成春"
Miraculous healing
医术高明，着手成春。
literary"着手不凡"
Impressive start
他一出手，果然着手不凡。
neutral"先着手"
Start early
先着手的人有机会。
neutral"着手做"
Get to work
别说了，快着手做吧。
casual"着手点"
Starting point
这是最好的着手点。
neutral"着手办"
Begin handling
这件事我马上着手办。
casualEasily Confused
Both mean start
开始 is generic; 着手 implies a task.
开始吃饭 vs 着手工作
Both have 'hand'
动手 can mean physical attack.
别动手!
Both mean start
启动 is for machines/systems.
启动引擎
Both mean start
开展 is for programs.
开展活动
Sentence Patterns
Subject + 着手 + Verb
他着手准备。
Subject + 着手 + Noun
我们着手项目。
Time + Subject + 着手 + Verb
明天我们着手处理。
Subject + 已经 + 着手 + Verb
他们已经着手调查。
Subject + 决定 + 着手 + Verb
公司决定着手改革。
Família de palavras
Nouns
Verbs
Relacionado
How to Use It
7
Formality Scale
Erros comuns
着手 requires a human agent.
Usually needs a task context.
动手 can mean physical violence.
着手 is too formal for 'I'm starting a game'.
It is a verb, not a noun.
Tips
Workplace Tip
Use it in emails to sound professional.
Verb Pattern
Always follow with a task.
Hand Imagery
Remember the 'hands on' meaning.
Don't use for inanimate
Only use for people.
Polyphone
着 can be pronounced differently.
Collocations
Learn it with '准备'.
Tones
Practice the 1-3 tone shift.
Visual
Picture hands on a task.
Formality
Use it when you want to sound serious.
Context
Read business news to see it in action.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Hands (手) on (着) the task.
Visual Association
A person putting their hands on a desk to start work.
Word Web
Desafio
Use '着手' in a sentence about your next project.
Origem da palavra
Chinese
Original meaning: To place hands upon
Contexto cultural
None
Direct translation is 'to set about' or 'to tackle'.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
Office
- 着手准备
- 着手处理
- 着手执行
Academic
- 着手研究
- 着手分析
- 着手起草
Government
- 着手制定
- 着手改革
- 着手调查
Project Management
- 着手实施
- 着手评估
- 着手计划
Conversation Starters
"你最近着手做些什么项目？"
"你通常怎么着手处理难题？"
"你觉得着手新工作难吗？"
"我们什么时候着手准备？"
"谁着手负责这件事？"
Journal Prompts
Describe a project you just started (着手).
What is the first thing you do when you着手 a new task?
Why is it important to着手 things early?
Write about a time you had to着手 a difficult problem.
Perguntas frequentes
8 perguntasYes, it is more formal than 开始.
No, only for tasks/projects.
1st and 3rd tone.
Yes.
Only if it is a work message.
结束 or 搁置.
Yes, but with more effort.
Very common in workplace Chinese.
Teste-se
我准备___工作了。
着手 fits the context of starting work.
What does 着手 mean?
It means to start a task.
着手 is a noun.
It is a verb.
Word
Significado
Vocabulary matching.
Subject + verb + object order.
Pontuação: /5
Summary
着手 is the professional way to say you are starting a specific task.
- Means to start a task.
- More formal than 开始.
- Requires a human agent.
- Common in business.
Workplace Tip
Use it in emails to sound professional.
Verb Pattern
Always follow with a task.
Hand Imagery
Remember the 'hands on' meaning.
Don't use for inanimate
Only use for people.
Related Content
Esta palavra em outros idiomas
Gramática relacionada
Mais palavras de general
一下儿
A1a bit, a moment
点儿
A1a little bit
有点儿
A1a little, somewhat (negative connotation)
一下
A2A bit; a moment (used after a verb).
异样
B1different; unusual; strange
关于
A1about, concerning
快要
A2to be about to (happen)
大约
B1Used to show that a number or amount is not exact; approximately.
上边
A2above, on top
上面
A1on, above, over
