Finally, we have an expression (or rather, an adverbial phrase) that closely matches its Portuguese equivalent. At hand means “at hand” – that is, “close by”, “easy to reach”. This is not the only meaning, but it is a good start. Let’s see.
1 – “By hand”, an easy meaning to remember.
She always keeps a
water bottle near at hand . ( It is not necessary to
translate near in the sentence above, since the meaning of “close” is already contained in the expression “at hand”.)
Having the
right equipment at hand will be enormously helpful .
I always keep my calculator close at hand . ( Seriously?! )
I always keep a glass of water at hand when I sleep , because I hate waking up thirsty.
I do
n’t happen to have your application at hand at the moment . ( I beg you: do not translate to apply as “apply” in relation to documents, applications, etc.)
2 – “Nearby”, “available”, “at disposal”, “close by”.
They had several
nurses on hand in case anything went wrong.
Do
n’t worry, help is at hand !
Help is always at
hand if you need it. Help is always at hand if you need it.
They live in
a second-floor apartment with several shops and restaurants at hand .
3 – When the phrase at hand is used in reference to something that is going to happen, the translation is “imminent” or “near”. Note, once again, that it is common to use close or near together with at hand , reinforcing the sense of proximity.
The time
to act is close at hand .
Recent economic performance suggests that a major crisis is at hand .
Realizing that his
retirement was near at hand , he looked for some additional income.
After months of planning, I
‘m thrilled that the event is finally at hand !
4 – Finally, at hand is often used to refer to the “subject in question ” – that is, the subject that is being discussed at the moment.
We sat down
to address the issue at hand .
Peter
turned his attention to the task at hand .
I know you all want to chat, but we need to focus on the matter at hand — planning next week’s assembly .
Stop dabbling in other projects and focus on the task at hand .
In addition to being a very easy phrase to learn, at hand is also a great addition to your vocabulary. It’s worth writing down some of the example sentences above in your Anki and reviewing them until you’ve incorporated this expression more fully.