动手
dòngshǒu · HSK 5
begin
✋ 动手 = move + hand → start doing or take action
动 means move/act, 手 means hand. Literally to move the hand, meaning to start working, take action, or in context to strike/attack. Compare with English start a hand or lend a hand.
动 — force 力 + heavy/重 (simplified from 動)
The traditional form 動 combines 重 (heavy) as the phonetic with 力 (force/strength) as the semantic, suggesting the effort needed to move something heavy. The simplified form 动 replaces 重 with 云, keeping 力 to convey action and motion.
手 — pictograph of a hand with five fingers
手 is a pictograph showing an open hand with fingers and a wrist. Early bronze and oracle bone forms clearly depict five splayed fingers, which simplified over time into the modern shape. It keeps its original meaning of 'hand' and also serves as a radical in many characters related to hand actions.