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手套 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
手套shǒutàogloveHSK 5, n, rank #3217, Medium
手套shǒutàomittenHSK 5, n, rank #3217, Medium
手套shǒutào>双[shuāng],隻HSK 5, n, rank #3217, Medium
手套shǒutào>只[zhī]HSK 5, n, rank #3217, Medium
shǒutào(shou3tao4) T3
  1. 1glove
  2. 2mitten
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March 24, 2026
手套shǒutào(shou3tao4)

手套 (shǒutào) refers to gloves or mittens, which are clothing items worn on the hands for warmth or protection. They are commonly used during cold weather or in occupations requiring hand protection. The word can also be used metaphorically to describe something that fits well or is suitable.

Frequency#3217DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In China, wearing gloves is common during winter and is often seen as a fashion statement in addition to its functional purpose. Certain types of gloves may also be associated with specific activities, such as driving or working outdoors.

Memory Tip

Imagine your hand (手) is wearing a cozy glove (套) that fits perfectly; the glove 'wraps' around your hand, like a protective layer. Visualize a warm scene where your hand feels snug and secure, helping you remember both the meaning and pronunciation of 手套.

Meanings of 手套

shǒutào(shou3tao4)
1glove
2mitten
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 手套

手套Simplified
Strokes
Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#3217Frequency Rank
Measure Word
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 手套

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Podcast: 手套

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AI Study Notes for 手套

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine your hand (手) is wearing a cozy glove (套) that fits perfectly; the glove 'wraps' around your hand, like a protective layer. Visualize a warm scene where your hand feels snug and secure, helping you remember both the meaning and pronunciation of 手套.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 手套 with other clothing items like 袜子 (wàzi), which means socks. In informal contexts, you might hear people simply refer to them as '套' when the meaning is clear. Remember to use the correct measure word; 手套 is usually quantified with '双' (shuāng) for pairs.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 5 word, 手套 connects with other related vocabulary about clothing and accessories. Focus on practicing it with collocations such as '戴手套' (dài shǒutào - wear gloves) to enhance your speaking fluency.

Cultural Note

In China, wearing gloves is common during winter and is often seen as a fashion statement in addition to its functional purpose. Certain types of gloves may also be associated with specific activities, such as driving or working outdoors.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 手套 with other clothing items like 袜子 (socks). For example, saying '我需要一双袜子' (I need a pair of gloves) instead of '手套' is incorrect; the right phrase is '我需要一双手套'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 手套

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Component Characters

shǒuhand
HSK 24 strokes
View full entry
tàocover
HSK 510 strokes
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Write 手套

Practice writing 手套 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 手套

手套 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

他用那只戴着____的手拿起一张光盘。

His gloved hand held up a computer disk.

Example Sentences for 手套 (10)

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1
他用那只戴着手套的手拿起一张光盘。

tā yòng nà zhī dài zháo shǒu tào de shǒu ná qǐ yī zhāng guāng pán。

His gloved hand held up a computer disk.
2
切辣椒时要戴橡胶手套,因为辣椒会刺激皮肤。

qiē là jiāo shí yào dài xiàng jiāo shǒu tào, , yīn wéi là jiāo huì cì jī pí。

Wear rubber gloves while chopping chillies as they can irritate the skin.
3
清理猫粪时要带上橡胶手套。

qīng lǐ māo fèn shí yào dài shàng xiàng jiāo shǒu tào。

Wear rubber gloves when handling cat litter.
4
白手套很容易弄脏.

bái shǒu tào hěn róng yì nòng zāng.

White gloves soil easily.
5
她母亲坐得笔直,把她的白手套揉成了球状。

tā mǔ qīn zuò dé bǐ zhí, , bǎ tā de bái shǒu tào róu chéng le qiú。

Her mother was sitting bolt upright, scrunching her white cotton gloves into a ball.
6
清洁银器时要戴上棉手套,因为你皮肤里的酸性物质会使它失去光泽。

qīng jié yín qì shí yào dài shàng mián shǒu tào, , yīn wéi nǐ pí fū lǐ de suān xìng wù zhì huì shǐ tā shī qù guāng。

Wear cotton gloves when cleaning silver, because the acid in your skin can tarnish the metal.
7
你可以不穿冬大衣,不戴手套出去玩!

nǐ kě yǐ bù chuān dōng dà yī, , bù dài shǒu tào chū qù!

You can play outside with no winter coat and mittens!
8
棉的连指手套使婴儿不会抓伤自己的脸.

mián de lián zhǐ shǒu tào shǐ yīng ér bù huì zhuā shāng zì jǐ de liǎn.

Cotton mittens will prevent the baby from scratching his own face.
9
该把他的球棒和手套搁进柜子里了。

gāi bǎ tā de qiú bàng hé shǒu tào gē jìn guì zǐ lǐ le。

It was time to consign his bat and glove to the cupboard.
10
我迅速地脱下了毛绒手套。

wǒ xùn sù dì tuō xià le máo róng shǒu tào。

I slipped off my woollen gloves.

Cultural Notes for 手套

🏮Cultural insight

In China, wearing gloves is common during winter and is often seen as a fashion statement in addition to its functional purpose. Certain types of gloves may also be associated with specific activities, such as driving or working outdoors.

Frequently Asked Questions about 手套

手套 refers specifically to gloves, while 手心 means the palm of the hand.