1.
helping hand; rescue; lifeline; salvation
Help or assistance offered to someone in trouble or distress. Often used figuratively to describe timely aid that saves a dire situation.
救いの手を差し伸べる。
To extend a helping hand.
困っているときに救いの手が現れた。
A helping hand appeared when I was in trouble.
被災者に救いの手を差し伸べるため、多くのボランティアが集まった。
Many volunteers gathered to lend a helping hand to the disaster victims.
救いの手 literally means "hand of rescue" and refers to timely help given to someone in trouble. It is often used figuratively and carries a somewhat dramatic or literary tone.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 救いの手を差し伸べる: to extend a helping hand (the most common collocation)
- 救いの手を求める: to seek a helping hand
- 救いの手が現れる: a helping hand appears
USAGE:
Frequently appears in news reports about disaster relief, charitable aid, and personal crises. Also used in everyday speech to describe someone who helped at a critical moment.
RELATED EXPRESSIONS:
- 手を貸す: to lend a hand (more casual)
- 助け舟: a lifeboat, timely help (similar figurative use)
- 援助: aid, assistance (more formal/official)