1.
to reach out; to stretch out one's hand
To physically extend one's arm and hand toward something, typically to grab or touch it.
棚の上に手を伸ばす。
To reach up to the shelf.
子供がお菓子に手を伸ばした。
The child reached for the sweets.
溺れている人に向かって手を伸ばした。
I reached out my hand toward the drowning person.
2.
to expand into; to extend one's reach to
To figuratively extend one's influence, business, or activity into a new area or field.
海外に手を伸ばす。
To expand overseas.
あの会社は新しい分野にも手を伸ばしている。
That company is expanding into new fields too.
若者に手が届くよう、もっと手を伸ばすべきだ。
We should reach out more to connect with young people.
An idiomatic expression using 手 (hand) and 伸ばす (to extend, to stretch). The literal meaning of physically reaching for something naturally extends to figurative uses about expanding influence or scope.
USAGE:
Sense 1 is common in everyday situations. Sense 2 is frequently used in business and organizational contexts to describe expanding into new markets, fields, or demographics.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 手を伸ばして取る — to reach out and grab
- 海外に手を伸ばす — to expand overseas
- 新しい分野に手を伸ばす — to branch into a new field
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 手を差し伸べる — to extend a helping hand (more about offering help)
- 進出する — to advance into, to expand into (business term)
- 手を広げる — to spread one's activities (similar figurative use)