()つき

てつき
noun
way one uses one's hands; hand movements
body-partmovement
1. way one uses one's hands; hand movements
The visible manner in which someone moves their hands while doing something. Almost always used with a modifier that judges the movement as skilled, clumsy, gentle, and so on.
()れた()つき(さかな)さばく。
To fillet a fish with practiced hands.
(あぶ)なっかしい()つき包丁(ほうちょう)使(つか)っている
He is using the kitchen knife with an alarmingly clumsy grip.
She picked the baby up with gentle hands and laid it softly on the futon.

Nearly always appears as 「modifier}な{手()つき」 describing how an action is performed. It is about the look of the movement, not about the hands themselves.

Common collocations

  • ()れた()つき: practiced, assured hand movements
  • (あぶ)なっかしい()つき: clumsy, unsafe-looking handling
  • (やさ)しい()つき: gentle hands
  • (あざ)やか()つき: deft, impressive handling

Similar words

  • ()さばき: handling, dexterity — emphasizes technique and speed, typically praising skill
  • 仕草(しぐさ): gesture, mannerism — any bodily movement or habit, not limited to the hands