黑马

• Pinyin: hēi mǎ
• Desglose de hanzi: 黑 = 里 (inside) + 灬 (fire) — dark; 马 = pictograph of a horse with flowing mane

Significado

Caballo negro; tapado/a; sorpresa inesperada.

Borrowed via loan translation from the English 'dark horse,' originating in horse-racing culture. Used across competition, elections, business, and entertainment to describe underdogs or surprise winners. 杀出一匹黑马 (a dark horse emerging from the pack) is a common idiomatic extension. The term carries an admiring tone, often suggesting the person rose through genuine merit rather than reputation.

Ejemplos

1. 本届市长选举中，一位此前名不见经传的年轻律师以黑马之势横空出世，最终击败了数名政坛老将。
2. 本届世界杯上，来自东欧的这支小国球队以黑马之姿一路闯入半决赛，令众多足球评论员大跌眼镜。
3. 那部制作成本极低的独立电影横空杀出，在颁奖季连斩多项重要大奖，令整个影视行业为之震惊。

Guía de uso

Contexto: sports, elections, business, entertainment, competitions

Tono: admiring

Correcto

• 创业大赛评委们一致认为，这家仅成立两年的初创公司是本届最大的黑马，其商业模式令人眼前一亮。(The startup competition judges unanimously agreed that this company, founded only two years ago, was the biggest dark horse of the event, with a business model that was refreshingly innovative.)
• 在大多数专家看好传统强队的情况下，这支年轻球队以黑马之资从预选赛一路挺进总决赛，创造了历史。(With most experts backing the traditional powerhouses, this young team emerged as a dark horse, advancing all the way from qualifying to the grand final — a historic achievement.)

Incorrecto

• 黑马 for things that simply improve gradually — the term implies a sudden, surprising breakthrough rather than steady progress; use 异军突起 for a more emphatic sense of emerging force

Origen e historia

黑 (black; dark) + 马 (horse) — loan translation of English 'dark horse' from horse racing

Contexto cultural

Época: Modern

Generación: All ages

Contexto social: Universal