缩手

You use it mostly as a verb. It describes a physical movement in most A2 contexts. You can say someone 缩手 because of cold water. Or maybe they saw a spider and jumped back. It is often paired with words like 赶快 (quickly) or 吓得 (scared into). It feels very active and immediate. Use it when the action is sharp and sudden.

Use it when describing physical safety or discomfort. If you are at a restaurant and the plate is hot, tell your friend to 缩手. If you are playing with a cat and it tries to bite, you 缩手. It also works when someone is reaching for something they shouldn't touch. It is great for storytelling. It adds a sense of motion to your sentences. You can use it when texting about a near-miss or a funny accident.

Don't use it for long-term quitting. If you quit your job, don't use 缩手. That requires a different word like 辞职. It is not for general laziness either. It must involve a specific 'reaching' motion that gets reversed. Avoid using it in very high-level business negotiations to mean 'withdrawing an offer.' There are more formal terms for that. Keep it to physical or very immediate psychological retreats.

In Chinese culture, body language is very expressive. 缩手 often appears in old stories to show someone's guilt or fear. If someone is caught stealing, they might 缩手 in shame. It is also related to the idea of 'keeping one's hands clean.' However, at the A2 level, it is mostly about the physical reflex. It is a very 'human' expression that everyone understands instantly. It bridges the gap between basic biology and social hesitation.

You might hear 缩手缩脚. This is a four-character idiom (chengyu). It means being overly cautious or timid. It literally means 'shrinking hands and feet.' While 缩手 is just the hand, the idiom describes your whole vibe. Another common one is 缩回手, which emphasizes the 'returning' of the hand. Stick to the simple 缩手 first to master the basic action.