händig

Händig is a German adjective that describes skill or dexterity with the hands, or refers to something done by hand rather than by machine. In contemporary Standard German the sense of being “handy” or convenient is usually expressed with words such as handlich or praktisch; händig tends to have a more literary, regional, or historical flavor and is less common in everyday language. It can also describe a person who is adept with manual tasks, meaning muscled by manual skill or deft in handling tools.

Etymology and linguistic notes

The word händig is formed from the noun Hand (hand) with the adjectival suffix -ig, and is attested in Old High German and Middle High German forms. It belongs to a small family of Germanic words built from hand-related roots that convey dexterity or manual capability. Cross-linguistically, cognates appear in other Germanic languages, such as Dutch handig and Swedish händig, which carry largely similar meanings of being handy or skilled with the hands.

Usage and context

Today, händig is encountered mainly in historical texts, literary contexts, or regional speech. In most modern prose, speakers favor behändig, handlich, manually, or by-hand constructions to express related ideas. The term remains a recognizable but relatively specialized option for describing manual competence or hand-generated work rather than everyday practicality.

See also

Handy, handlich, manuell, behändig.