凶手

• 拼音: xiōng shǒu
• 汉字拆解: 凶 = 凵 (pit) + 乂 (cross), meaning violent; 手 = pictograph of a hand

含义

Murderer; killer; culprit. The person who committed a violent crime, especially murder.

Specifically refers to someone who has killed another person. In legal contexts, may be used before conviction with qualifiers like 嫌疑 (suspected). Also used metaphorically for the cause of disasters or failures. Related: 杀手 (assassin), 罪犯 (criminal), 作案者 (perpetrator).

例句

1. 警方经过三天的追查，终于抓到了凶手。
2. 空气污染是导致呼吸道疾病的主要凶手。
3. 直到电影结尾，观众才知道谁是真正的凶手。

用法指南

语境: crime, news, legal, detective fiction

语气: serious

正确说法

• 凶手还没抓到。(The murderer hasn't been caught yet.)
• 谁是凶手？(Who is the killer?)

错误说法

• 他是打破窗户的凶手 — 小事故的责任人不用'凶手'，应说'是他打破了窗户'，凶手专指严重暴力犯罪者

起源与历史

Compound of 凶 (violent, fierce) + 手 (hand, person who does something). Literally 'violent hand,' meaning perpetrator of violence.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal