1.
hands and feet, limbs
The hands and feet collectively, or all four limbs of a person or animal.
手足が冷たい。
My hands and feet are cold.
赤ちゃんが手足をバタバタさせている。
The baby is flailing its arms and legs.
寒さで手足の感覚がなくなった。
I lost feeling in my hands and feet from the cold.
2.
right-hand man, trusted agent
A person who acts as an extension of someone else's will, carrying out their orders faithfully. Often used for subordinates or loyal followers.
彼は社長の手足となって働いた。
He worked as the president's right-hand man.
部下を手足のように使う。
To use subordinates as if they were extensions of oneself.
優秀な手足となる人材がいなければ、組織は動かない。
Without capable people to act as one's agents, an organization cannot function.
USAGE:
In sense 1, 手足 refers to the physical hands and feet (or all four limbs). It is commonly used when describing sensations like cold or numbness, or physical movements.
In sense 2, the word is used figuratively to mean a person who faithfully carries out someone else's wishes, like a loyal subordinate or agent. The expression 手足のように使う ("to use someone like one's own hands and feet") can carry a negative nuance of treating people as mere tools.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 手足が冷たい: hands and feet are cold
- 手足がしびれる: hands and feet go numb
- 手足を伸ばす: to stretch one's limbs
- 手足となる: to serve as someone's agent
- 手足のように使う: to use someone as an extension of oneself