give someone a hand

IPA/ɡˈɪv sˈʌmwɒn ɐ hˈand/
IPA/ɡˈɪv sˈʌmwʌn ɐ hˈænd/

give someone a hand — idiom

1. to give practical assistance to another person, most often by sharing a physical

1.慣用語A2
釋義

to give practical assistance to another person, most often by sharing a physical task such as lifting, carrying, or moving objects.

例句

Min gave her elderly neighbour a hand carrying the shopping bags up the stairs.

give + someone + a hand + V-ing

The caretaker asked Tomás to give him a hand fixing the broken gate before the storm.

同義詞
  • lend a hand

    equally idiomatic but slightly less common in everyday spoken English

  • help out

    less specific; can cover any kind of assistance, not only physical tasks

  • assist

    more formal and general; lacks the concrete, hands-on feel of the idiom

文法句型

give + [someone] + a hand

give a hand + to [someone]

用法筆記

The structure give + [someone] + a hand is far more common than the alternative give a hand to [someone]. The someone can be replaced with a specific noun phrase (e.g. gave the movers a hand). The phrase is typically used for practical, hands-on tasks rather than professional or specialised help.

常見錯誤

❌She gave a hand to move the table.
✅She gave him a hand moving the table.
💡The person receiving help must be stated between 'give' and 'a hand' in the standard pattern.
❌The doctor gave me a hand with my illness.
✅The nurse gave me a hand getting out of bed.
💡This idiom describes practical assistance with physical tasks, not professional medical treatment.