选手 (xuǎnshǒu) · contestant

选手 (xuǎnshǒu) means “contestant; player; athlete”. It is written with 2 characters: 选 (to choose) + 手 (hand). It is an HSK 3 word in the 2021 standard.

How 选手 is built

The characters

选 xuǎn · to choose

What 选 is made of

辶 — walking, moving
先xiān — first
- 土tǔ — earth
  - 十 — ten
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
- 儿ér — child
  - 丿 — falling stroke
  - 乚 — hook stroke

Origin hint: 辶 gives the meaning, 先 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

手 shǒu · hand

What 手 is made of

手 is not built from smaller parts; it is written with 4 strokes.

Origin hint: A hand with the fingers splayed (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

Example sentences

这位选手跑得很快。Zhè wèi xuǎnshǒu pǎo de hěn kuài.This athlete runs very fast.

比赛有多少选手？Bǐsài yǒu duōshǎo xuǎnshǒu?How many contestants are in the competition?

Questions about 选手

What does 选手 mean?

选手 (xuǎnshǒu) means “contestant; player; athlete”.

How do you pronounce 选手?

选手 is pronounced xuǎnshǒu.

Which HSK level is 选手?

选手 is in HSK 3 (2021) and Old HSK 6.

Related words

Learn 选手 with its group

It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 35: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

Open the group