1.
dominant hand; stronger hand; writing hand
The hand a person naturally prefers to use for tasks like writing, eating, and throwing.
利き手はどちらですか。
Which is your dominant hand?
私の利き手は左です。
My dominant hand is my left hand.
利き手を怪我したので、反対の手で箸を使っている。
I injured my dominant hand, so I'm using chopsticks with my other hand.
Refers to the hand a person naturally favors for tasks like writing and eating.
WORD FORMATION:
利く (to be effective) + 手 (hand). The 利き prefix means 'dominant' or 'preferred.'
RELATED COMPOUNDS:
- 利き足: dominant foot
- 利き目: dominant eye
- 右利き: right-handed
- 左利き: left-handed
- 両利き: ambidextrous
WRITING:
Usually written in mixed kana/kanji as 利き手 rather than all kanji.
CULTURAL NOTE:
In Japan, being left-handed (左利き) was traditionally corrected to right-handedness, though this practice has become less common in recent generations.