元凶

yuánxiōng

noun #17,403

Measure Word

一名元凶 míng

Meanings

1 chief offender; main culprit
2 prime suspect; mastermind

Characters

primary; first; origin

fierce; evil; murder

Literally 'primary evil-doer' - the one most responsible for a crime or disaster.

Examples

HSK 7-9

警方终于抓到了这起案件的元凶。

Jǐngfāng zhōngyú zhuā dào le zhè qǐ ànjiàn de yuánxiōng.

The police finally caught the mastermind behind this case.

HSK 7-9

空气污染是引发这种疾病的元凶。

Kōngqì wūrǎn shì yǐnfā zhèzhǒng jíbìng de yuánxiōng.

Air pollution is the main culprit behind this disease.

Stroke Order

元 yuán

凶 xiōng