HSK Level 5

招手

zhāo shǒu

beckon; wave; beck

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Example Sentences

他向我招手。

tā xiàng wǒ zhāoshǒu.

He waved to me.

我看到她在向我招手。

wǒ kàn dào tā zài xiàng wǒ zhāoshǒu.

I saw her waving to me.

我们向他招手告别。

wǒmen xiàng tā zhāoshǒu gàobié.

We waved goodbye to him.

Synonyms

招手 (zhāoshǒu)

beckon

挥手 (huīshǒu)

wave

Antonyms

摆手 (bǎishǒu)

wave goodbye

拒绝 (jùjué)

reject

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 招手 (zhāoshǒu) literally means "to beckon with the hand." It is composed of two characters: 招 (zhāo), which means "to beckon" or "to invite," and 手 (shǒu), which means "hand." The word 招手 can be used as a verb or a noun. As a verb, it means "to beckon" or "to wave." As a noun, it means "a beckon" or "a wave."The word 招手 has been used in Chinese for centuries. It is found in many ancient texts, including the Book of Songs and the Analects of Confucius. The word 招手 is also used in modern Chinese literature and everyday speech.The etymology of the word 招手 is relatively straightforward. The character 招 is derived from the pictograph of a hand holding a stick. The character 手 is a pictograph of a hand. The combination of these two characters creates the word 招手, which literally means "to beckon with the hand."The word 招手 is a common word in Chinese. It is used in a variety of contexts, both formal and informal. It is a useful word to know for anyone who wants to communicate in Chinese.