头目

頭目
tóumù
noun #9,086

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 leader; chief; head (of a gang or group)
  2. 2 ringleader; boss (often negative)

Characters

Literally 'head and eyes' — the person at the top who oversees everything.

Examples

Jǐngfāng dàibǔ le fànzuì tuánhuǒ de tóumù.
The police arrested the leader of the criminal gang.
Tā shì zhège zǒusī jítuán de tóumù.
He's the ringleader of this smuggling ring.
Tǔfěi tóumù bèi zhuāzhù le.
The bandit chief was captured.

Tips

register
头目 carries a negative connotation — it's typically used for leaders of criminal, illegal, or disreputable groups. For neutral or positive 'leader', use 领导 or 首领.

Stroke Order

tóu