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手の込んだ (てのこんだ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

手ての込こんだ

Meanings

1

expression, noun-modifying (irregular)

intricate; elaborate; complicated

Describes something made with great care, detail, and effort, often implying craftsmanship or complexity. Used prenominally to modify nouns.

彼かの女じょは手ての込こんだ料りょう理りをふるまってくれた。
She treated us to an elaborate home-cooked meal.
このドレスは手ての込こんだ刺し繍しゅうが美うつくしい。
The intricate embroidery on this dress is beautiful.

Written forms

手ての込こんだ
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
手ての混こんだ
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 混 can imply 'mixed' or 'complicated', but this spelling is uncommon.

Kanji

手hand
込crowded, mixture, in bulk

mix, blend, confuse

Similar words

複ふく雑ざつ
複雑 is a general adjective for 'complex' or 'complicated', while 手の込んだ specifically emphasizes the effort and detail put into making something.
精せい巧こう
精巧 means 'exquisite' or 'delicate', focusing on precision and fineness, whereas 手の込んだ highlights the labor and intricacy involved.

Etymology

From 手 (hand) + の (possessive particle) + 込んだ (past tense of 込む, 'to be crowded' or 'to go into'), literally 'the hand has gone into it', implying that much handiwork has been put into something.