素 手(すで)

すで

noun

bare hands

body-part

1. bare hands, empty hands

Hands without gloves, tools, or weapons. Emphasizes doing something with nothing but one's own hands.

素手(すで)で触(さわ)らないでください。

Please don't touch it with your bare hands.

素手(すで)で魚(さかな)をつかんだ。

I grabbed the fish with my bare hands.

薬品(やくひん)を扱(あつか)うときは素手(すで)ではなく手袋(てぶくろ)を使(つか)ってください。

When handling chemicals, use gloves instead of bare hands.

Usage

Used adverbially with で: 素手(すで)で (with bare hands). Implies doing something without the protection or assistance of tools, gloves, or weapons. In martial arts, 素手(すで) means fighting without weapons (unarmed).

Common collocations

素手(すで)で触(さわ)る: to touch with bare hands
素手(すで)で戦(たたか)う: to fight bare-handed
素手(すで)でつかむ: to grab with bare hands
素手(すで)で料理(りょうり)する: to cook with bare hands

Similar words

手(て)ぶら (empty-handed) means arriving without bringing anything, while 素手(すで) specifically means bare hands without gloves or tools.

Related Words

Compare: 手(て)ぶら (empty-handed (nothing brought))

Related: 生身(なまみ) (flesh and blood)

Compare: 生身(なまみ)の (flesh-and-blood)

Compare: 徒手(としゅ) (bare-handed)

Compare: 空拳(くうけん) (bare fists)

Compare: 丸腰(まるごし) (unarmed)

general

Added 2026.2.27 13:20 · Revised 2026.9.4 21:31

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