shake hands

IPA/ʃˈeɪk hˈandz/
IPA/ʃˈeɪk hˈændz/

shake hands — idiom

1. Shaking hands is a polite social custom in which two people hold each other's ri

1.慣用語A2
釋義

Shaking hands is a polite social custom in which two people hold each other's right hand and move it gently up and down when they meet or part.

例句

Ravindra shook hands with his new neighbours when he met them for the first time.

shake hands with + someone

Tuan and Eric shook hands warmly before Eric got on the train to Taipei.

adverb: shake hands warmly

同義詞
  • exchange handshakes

    more formal; describes the same action in a report or news context

  • greet each other

    broader; can include bowing, hugging, or waving, not specifically handshaking

反義詞
  • snub

    to deliberately ignore someone by not greeting them at all

  • ignore

    to not acknowledge someone's presence, opposite of a polite greeting

文法句型

[plural subject] + shake hands

[subject] + shake hands with + [someone]

用法筆記

The verb 'shake' is irregular: past tense is 'shook', past participle is 'shaken'. The phrase almost always uses the plural noun 'hands' (e.g., 'They shook hands'). A common variant uses a possessive determiner: 'He shook her hand' (singular).

常見錯誤

❌We shaked hands at the meeting.
✅We shook hands at the meeting.
💡'Shake' is an irregular verb; the past tense is 'shook', not 'shaked'.
❌I shook hand with the manager.
✅I shook hands with the manager.
💡The idiom uses the plural form 'hands'.
❌She shake hands with everyone.
✅She shakes hands with everyone.
💡The third-person singular takes '-s' on the main verb.

2. When two people shake hands after discussing business or a disagreement, they si

2.慣用語B1
釋義

When two people shake hands after discussing business or a disagreement, they signal that a decision has been reached and that both parties accept it as final.

例句

The two lawyers shook hands after agreeing on the terms of the contract.

shake hands after + [agreement]

Selim and Mathieu shook hands to confirm their business partnership.

shake hands to confirm + [arrangement]

同義詞
  • shake on it

    more informal; implies the same agreement-sealing gesture

  • seal the deal

    broader; may include signing documents or a verbal commitment, not just handshaking

反義詞

文法句型

[subject] + shake hands + on + [deal/agreement/terms]

[subject] + shake hands + to confirm/seal + [arrangement]

用法筆記

This sense often appears with the preposition 'on' (e.g., 'shake hands on a deal') or in the fixed expression 'shake hands on it'. Distinguish from Sense 1 by the context — this sense requires a preceding negotiation, transaction, or dispute resolution.

常見錯誤

❌They shaked hands on the agreement.
✅They shook hands on the agreement.
💡The past tense of 'shake' is 'shook', not 'shaked'.