掌
てのひら
the palm (of the hand)
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Examples
硬貨を彼の掌に置いた。
こうかをかれのてのひらにおいた。
I placed a coin in the palm of his hand.
緊張で掌に汗をかいた。
きんちょうでてのひらにあせをかいた。
My palms were sweating with nerves.
彼は掌を返すように態度を変えた。
かれはてのひらをかえすようにたいどをかえた。
He turned right around and changed his attitude completely.
赤ん坊の掌はとても小さい。
あかんぼうのてのひらはとてもちいさい。
A baby's palm is tiny.
Common patterns
- 掌を返す
- to do a complete about-face
- 掌に汗を握る
- to be on the edge of one's seat
- 掌を合わせる
- to press one's palms together (in prayer)
Memory tip
Read てのひら in normal Japanese — たなごころ is an archaic literary reading you will only meet in old texts. It is usually written 手のひら; the one-character 掌 stays alive in the idiom 掌を返す, 'to reverse one's stance completely'.
Kanji in this word
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What does 掌 mean?