黑手

hēishǒu
noun HSK 7 #10,191

Meanings

  1. 1 hidden hand
  2. 2 malign agent behind the scenes
  3. 3 secret manipulator

Characters

Black hand — a secret manipulator working behind the scenes.

Examples

Tā shì mùhòu de hēishǒu.
He is the hidden hand behind the scenes.
Jǐngfāng zhèngzài zhuīchá hēishǒu de zhēnshí shēnfèn.
The police are tracking down the true identity of the mastermind.

Tips

usage
黑手 is figurative, meaning a hidden manipulator or mastermind. Common phrase: 幕后黑手 (mùhòu hēishǒu, the mastermind behind the scenes). In Taiwan, 黑手 can also mean 'mechanic' or 'manual laborer' (blue-collar worker with dirty hands).

Stroke Order

hēi
shǒu