成功 (chénggōng) - use 得手 when emphasizing the successful completion of a task after effort, while 成功 is more general and can refer to success in any context.

Imagine you are trying to catch a slippery fish by hand. When you finally catch it, you can say '得手!' (de2 shou3), meaning 'I succeeded!' The character 得 (de) looks like a person catching something, and 手 (shou3) means hand, relating directly to the action of securing a catch.

Be careful not to confuse 得手 with similar phrases that imply mere luck. This term indicates effort leading to success rather than chance. It's a more informal expression, so it’s best used in casual conversations or informal writing.

While 得手 is not a specific HSK word, it shares components with HSK Level 3 vocabulary like 得 (de) and 手 (shou3). Students should focus on recognizing these components and their meanings, as they can help in understanding similar phrases in Chinese.

In Chinese culture, the idea of achieving success through hard work is highly valued. The phrase 得手 can often be heard in discussions of business or personal achievements, reflecting the importance of perseverance and determination.

Learners often mistakenly use 得手 to imply luck, saying something like '我得手了，因为运气好' (I succeeded because of good luck), which is incorrect. The correct usage emphasizes effort, such as '我得手了，因为努力了' (I succeeded because I worked hard).