An item of clothing that covers the hand and has a separate covering for each finger. It is used for protection, warmth, or as a fashion accessory.
example
Bei der Gartenarbeit trage ich immer Handschuhe, um meine Hände zu schützen.
When gardening, I always wear gloves to protect my hands.
Usage tips
Word composition
The word 'Handschuh' (glove) is a good example of logical German word formation. It is made up of 'Hand' (hand) and 'Schuh' (shoe) and is literally a 'shoe for the hand.'
EXAMPLE
Zieh dir Handschuhe an, es ist eiskalt draußen!
Put on gloves; it's freezing cold outside!
Typical collocations
The most common verbs in connection with gloves are 'anziehen' (to put on) and 'ausziehen' (to take off). You can also say 'Handschuhe tragen' (to wear gloves).
EXAMPLE
Er zog seine Handschuhe aus, um die Münzen aus der Tasche zu holen.
He took off his gloves to get the coins out of his pocket.
Sentence structure of the expression
In the idiom 'jemanden mit Samthandschuhen anfassen' (to handle someone with kid gloves), the person being treated carefully is always in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Nach der schlechten Nachricht müssen wir ihn heute mit Samthandschuhen anfassen.
After the bad news, we have to handle him with kid gloves today.