Definition
解手 is a separable verb (离合词) that primarily means 'to go to the toilet' — it's a euphemism with a historical origin: during the Ming dynasty, immigrants were tied by their hands, and when they needed to relieve themselves, they would ask to have their hands untied, hence the phrase. The literal meaning 'to untie one's hands' still exists but is very rare in modern usage. As a separable verb, you can insert a measure word or duration between the syllables, e.g. 解了一次手 ('went to the toilet once').
v.o.
to relieve oneselfto go to the toilet (euphemistic)
Examples
- ,解手。Děng yíxià, wǒ xiān qù jiě shǒu.Wait a moment, I need to go to the toilet first.
- 。Tā zài lù shang jiě le yí cì shǒu cái jìxù gǎn lù.He relieved himself once on the road before continuing his journey.
- 。Chángtú dàbā zhōngtú huì tíng chē ràng dàjiā jiě shǒu.The long-distance bus will stop midway to let everyone use the toilet.
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