náshǒu: 拿手 - To Be Good At, Specialty, Forte

• Keywords: náshǒu, 拿手, to be good at something Chinese, specialty in Chinese, what's your specialty Chinese, forte Chinese, 拿手菜, náshǒucài, signature dish Chinese, Chinese adjective for skilled, expert in Chinese.
• Summary: Learn how to use 拿手 (náshǒu) in Chinese to talk about what you're good at, your specialty, or your forte. This guide explains its meaning, from describing a skilled person to ordering a chef's 拿手菜 (náshǒucài), or signature dish. Discover how this common adjective reflects cultural values of skill and hospitality, and learn how to use it fluently in everyday conversation.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): náshǒu
• Part of Speech: Adjective / Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To be skilled or expert at a particular activity; a person's specialty or forte.
• In a Nutshell: 拿手 (náshǒu) is the perfect word in Chinese for saying someone is particularly good at a specific, practical skill—especially cooking. It's the equivalent of saying something is your “strong suit,” “forte,” or “specialty.” If you make incredible lasagna, that's your 拿手菜 (náshǒucài), or “signature dish.” The feeling of the word is informal, confident, and it's frequently used to praise others or (modestly) describe your own best talents.

• 拿 (ná): To take, to hold, to grasp. The character shows a hand (手) over a character for “to join” (合), depicting the action of bringing things together with your hand, or grasping.
• 手 (shǒu): Hand. This is a pictograph of a hand with five fingers.

The combination 拿手 (náshǒu) literally means “to hold in the hand.” The metaphor is powerful and intuitive: if you are truly skilled at something, you have complete control and mastery over it, as if you are holding that skill firmly in your hand. You can use it with ease and confidence.

拿手 (náshǒu) is deeply embedded in the practical, everyday aspects of Chinese culture, especially hospitality. The most common usage by far is 拿手菜 (náshǒucài), meaning “signature dish.” In China, inviting someone to your home for a meal is a significant gesture of friendship and respect. Preparing your 拿手菜 for a guest is the ultimate sign of welcome. It means you are not just feeding them, but you are sharing your very best with them—the dish you have perfected and are proud of. It's an act of generosity and “face” (面子, miànzi), as you are presenting your best self through your cooking. Compared to the English phrase “to be good at,” 拿手 is more specific to practiced, often physical, skills. You might say “I'm good at history” in English, but you would be less likely to use 拿手 for an academic subject (you'd use 擅长 (shàncháng) instead). 拿手 is for things you *do*: cooking, singing, fixing things, playing a sport. It emphasizes proven ability over theoretical knowledge, a value deeply respected in Chinese culture.

拿手 is an extremely common, everyday word. It's informal but not slang, making it appropriate for conversations with friends, family, and colleagues.

• Praising Others: It's a fantastic way to compliment someone's skill. Instead of just saying “good job,” you can be more specific: “Wow, you're really great at making dumplings!” (你包饺子真拿手!).
• Describing Your Specialty (The “Signature Dish”): This is the most frequent context. You'll hear it constantly in relation to food.
• Asking About Skills: It's a friendly way to get to know someone better by asking what they excel at: “你有什么拿手的？” (Nǐ yǒu shénme náshǒu de?) - “What's your specialty?”
• Modesty: While you can use it to describe yourself, it often comes after someone has prompted you or praised you first. For example, if someone compliments your cooking, you might say, “这道菜是我的拿手.” (Zhè dào cài shì wǒ de náshǒu.) - “This dish is my specialty.”

• Example 1:
  • 这是我妈妈的拿手菜，你一定要多吃点儿。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì wǒ māma de náshǒucài, nǐ yīdìng yào duō chī diǎnr.
  • English: This is my mom's signature dish, you must eat some more.
  • Analysis: A classic example showing hospitality. The speaker is proud of their mother's cooking and is being a generous host.
• Example 2:
  • 做饭不是我的拿手项目。
  • Pinyin: Zuòfàn bùshì wǒ de náshǒu xiàngmù.
  • English: Cooking is not my strong suit.
  • Analysis: Here, 拿手 is used in the negative to express a lack of skill in a particular area. 项目 (xiàngmù) means “item” or “project,” making the phrase very natural.
• Example 3:
  • 他修电脑很拿手，你找他帮忙吧。
  • Pinyin: Tā xiū diànnǎo hěn náshǒu, nǐ zhǎo tā bāngmáng ba.
  • English: He's an expert at fixing computers, you should ask him for help.
  • Analysis: This shows 拿手 being used for a technical, hands-on skill beyond cooking.
• Example 4:
  • 唱歌是他的拿手好戏。
  • Pinyin: Chànggē shì tā de náshǒu hǎoxì.
  • English: Singing is his forte.
  • Analysis: 拿手好戏 (náshǒu hǎoxì) is a set phrase that means “masterpiece,” “specialty,” or “the thing one is best at,” often used for performance arts.
• Example 5:
  • 你最拿手的运动是什么？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zuì náshǒu de yùndòng shì shénme?
  • English: What sport are you best at?
  • Analysis: A direct and friendly question to learn about someone's talents.
• Example 6:
  • 虽然我会做很多菜，但红烧肉才是我的拿手。
  • Pinyin: Suīrán wǒ huì zuò hěnduō cài, dàn hóngshāo ròu cái shì wǒ de náshǒu.
  • English: Although I can make many dishes, braised pork is my real specialty.
  • Analysis: This shows how 拿手 can be used as a noun (“my specialty”). It specifies the one skill that stands above others.
• Example 7:
  • 在画画方面，我可不如你拿手。
  • Pinyin: Zài huàhuà fāngmiàn, wǒ kě bùrú nǐ náshǒu.
  • English: When it comes to drawing, I'm really not as skilled as you.
  • Analysis: A great example of using 拿手 to make a comparison, often in a modest or complimentary way.
• Example 8:
  • 李医生的拿手是给小孩子看病，他特别有耐心。
  • Pinyin: Lǐ yīshēng de náshǒu shì gěi xiǎoháizi kànbìng, tā tèbié yǒu nàixīn.
  • English: Dr. Li's specialty is treating children; he is especially patient.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates that 拿手 can apply to professional skills, highlighting a specific area of expertise.
• Example 9:
  • 别看他平时很安静，打篮球可是他的拿手绝活。
  • Pinyin: Bié kàn tā píngshí hěn ānjìng, dǎ lánqiú kěshì tā de náshǒu juéhuó.
  • English: Don't be fooled by how quiet he usually is; playing basketball is his special talent.
  • Analysis: 拿手绝活 (náshǒu juéhuó) combines “specialty” with “unique skill,” emphasizing a particularly impressive and perhaps unexpected talent.
• Example 10:
  • 每个人都有自己拿手的事情。
  • Pinyin: Měi ge rén dōu yǒu zìjǐ náshǒu de shìqing.
  • English: Everyone has something they are good at.
  • Analysis: A simple, philosophical sentence showing the general application of the word.

• Practical Skills vs. Academic Knowledge:
  • A common mistake is using 拿手 for academic subjects. It sounds strange to say “历史是我的拿手” (History is my specialty). 拿手 implies a hands-on, performative, or creative skill.
  • Correct: 我包饺子很拿手。 (Wǒ bāo jiǎozi hěn náshǒu.) - I'm great at making dumplings.
  • Incorrect: 我历史很拿手。
  • Better: 我擅长历史。 (Wǒ shàncháng lìshǐ.) - I'm good at history. / 我的历史很好。 (Wǒ de lìshǐ hěn hǎo.) - My history is very good.
• 拿手 vs. 厉害 (lìhai):
  • 厉害 (lìhai) means “awesome,” “amazing,” or “formidable.” It's a general exclamation of admiration for someone's ability or an impressive result. 拿手 is specific to a particular, established skill.
  • You see a friend hit a perfect shot in basketball. You exclaim: “哇，你真厉害！” (Wow, you're so awesome!).
  • You then add, specifying the skill: “你打篮球真拿手！” (You're really skilled at basketball!).
  • 厉害 is the immediate reaction; 拿手 is the description of the underlying skill.

• 拿手菜 (náshǒucài) - The most common use of 拿手. It means “signature dish.”
• 擅长 (shàncháng) - To be good at. More formal than 拿手 and often used for broader skills, talents, or academic subjects (e.g.,擅长数学 - good at math; 擅长沟通 - good at communicating).
• 厉害 (lìhai) - Awesome, formidable. A general term of praise for a person or their ability. It's an adjective describing the “wow” factor, while 拿手 describes the skill itself.
• 高手 (gāoshǒu) - A master, an expert (literally “high hand”). A noun for a person who is 拿手 at something. If your friend's cooking is 拿手, you can call them a 烹饪高手 (pēngrèn gāoshǒu) - a master chef.
• 在行 (zàiháng) - To be an expert, to know a trade or field well. Very similar to 拿手 but can carry a more professional or technical connotation. (e.g., 在修理汽车方面，他很在行 - He's an expert when it comes to fixing cars).
• 绝活 (juéhuó) - A unique, special skill; a trick of the trade that few others possess. It's a level above 拿手. A 拿手 skill is something you're good at; a 绝活 is something that makes you stand out from everyone else.
• 本领 (běnlǐng) - Skill, ability, capability. A more formal noun for a skill or competence one possesses.