Meaning and Usage
"手数" (てかず) refers to the effort, trouble, or labor involved in doing something. It often implies the amount of handling or steps required to complete a task.
Common Contexts
It is frequently used in polite expressions to acknowledge someone else's effort, such as "お手数ですが" (Sorry to trouble you). It can also describe the complexity or number of steps in a process.
Collocations and Patterns
- お手数ですが: a polite phrase to apologize for causing trouble or extra effort.
- 手数がかかる: indicates that something requires a lot of effort or handling.
- 手数を省く: means to save effort or skip unnecessary steps.
Register and Nuance
This word is formal and often appears in business or polite conversation. Using "お手数ですが" is a common way to politely ask someone to do something that might be inconvenient.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "手数" with "手間" (てま), which also means effort or labor. "手数" emphasizes the trouble or steps involved, often in a procedural sense, while "手間" focuses more on the time and effort spent.