Chinese word

黑手

Pronunciation

Pinyinhēi shǒu

Meaning

  • nounmastermind

Example

别让黑手破坏我们的计划。bié ràng hēi shǒu pò huài wǒ men de jì huà

Don't let the mastermind ruin our plan.

Illustration for 黑手 (mastermind)

More examples

警方怀疑他是幕后黑手。jǐng fāng huái yí tā shì mù hòu hēi shǒu

The police suspect he is the mastermind behind the scenes.

Core concept

A concealed force guides what happens while remaining outside the spotlight.

Common phrases

  • 幕后黑手mù hòu hēi shǒu

    behind-the-scenes mastermind

Similar words

幕后mù hòu: A person or group that manages events and people's roles without appearing in public.
操纵者cāo zòng zhě: A person who directs plans or people's actions cleverly to serve personal interests.
背后势力bèi hòu shì lì: A hidden group or force that affects events through support or pressure.

Definition in Chinese

暗地里操纵他人或影响事件发展的个人或势力，词义带有贬义和指责成分。àn dì lǐ cāo zòng tā rén huò yíng xiǎng shì jiàn fā zhǎn de gè rén huò shì lì cí yì dài yǒu biǎn yì hé zhǐ zé chéng fèn

Word origin

黑 (hēi, "black") + 手 (shǒu, "hand") literally forms "black hand", an image that develops into a name for a person or force exerting secret and blameworthy influence.

Usage tips

  • The term fits reports and criticism especially well, but it can sound overly dramatic when used for ordinary planning.

Other meanings

  • controllernoun

Opposites

  • 明面人物míng miàn rén wùpublic figurenoun

Related words

  • 黑手党hēi shóu dǎngmafianoun

Word lists with this word