hand movement / handle
der Handgriff, die Handgriffe
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hand movement
A specific, often practiced and efficient movement of the hand or hands to carry out an activity.
Mit wenigen geübten Handgriffen war der tropfende Wasserhahn repariert.
With a few practiced hand movements, the dripping faucet was repaired.
handle
A part of an object intended for gripping or holding with the hand; a handle.
Der Handgriff an der schweren Tür war aus Messing.
The handle on the heavy door was made of brass.
every move is spot-on
An idiom meaning that someone performs an activity very skillfully, quickly, and without mistakes because he or she has a lot of experience.
Bei der erfahrenen Chirurgin sitzt jeder Handgriff.
With the experienced surgeon, every move is spot-on.
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Handgriffe |
| genitive | des Handgriffes |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Handgriff | die Handgriffe |
| accusative | den Handgriff | die Handgriffe |
| dative | dem Handgriff | den Handgriffen |
| genitive | des Handgriffes des Handgriffs | der Handgriffe |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
The word is made up of 'Hand' (hand) and 'Griff' (grip/handle). It can therefore mean both a 'Griff mit der Hand' (grip or movement with the hand), i.e. a movement, and a 'Griff für die Hand' (handle for the hand), i.e. a component.
Mit einem schnellen Handgriff öffnete er die Flasche.
With one quick hand movement, he opened the bottle.
You can recognize the meaning from context. If it is about an action or movement, the activity is meant. If it refers to a fixed component on an object, it is about the handle used for holding on.
Das Zusammenbauen des Regals erfordert nur wenige Handgriffe.
Assembling the shelf requires only a few hand movements.
When a movement is meant, 'Handgriff' (hand movement) is often combined with adjectives such as 'schnell' (quick), 'einfach' (simple), 'geübt' (practiced), or 'sicher' (confident/sure). It also often appears in the plural: 'mit wenigen Handgriffen' (with just a few hand movements).
Sie erledigte die Reparatur mit ein paar sicheren Handgriffen.
She completed the repair with a few confident hand movements.
The idiom 'jeder Handgriff sitzt' (every move is spot-on) is often used with the preposition 'bei' and a person in the dative. So the structure is: 'Bei [Person] sitzt jeder Handgriff.'
Beim erfahrenen Koch in der Küche sitzt jeder Handgriff.
With the experienced cook in the kitchen, every move is spot-on.
