手(て)のひら

てのひら
noun
palm of the hand
1. palm of the hand
The inner surface of the hand between the wrist and fingers.
手(て)のひらに汗(あせ)をかく。
To sweat on the palms of one's hands.
手(て)のひらを見(み)せる。
To show one's palm.
手(て)のひらサイズのカメラ。
A palm-sized camera.
赤(あか)ちゃんの手(て)のひらはとても小(ちい)さい。
A baby's palm is very small.
手(て)のひらを返(かえ)すように態度(たいど)が変(か)わった。
Their attitude changed completely, like flipping a palm.
Idiom: 手のひらを返す means to do a complete about-face

手(て)のひら is composed of 手(て) (hand) + ひら (flat surface). It refers to the inner surface of the hand, the palm.

ALTERNATIVE WRITING:
Can be written as 掌(てのひら) with a single kanji, though the hiragana form is more common.

COMMON PATTERNS:

IDIOM:
手(て)のひらを返(かえ)す means to do a complete about-face — to suddenly and drastically change one's attitude or opinion, often in a negative sense (like betrayal or opportunism).

RELATED BODY PARTS:

Related Words

Antonym: 手(て)の甲(こう) (back of the hand)
core
Added 2026.1.16 14:20 · Revised 2026.6.6 1:10
05000/05294_tenohira