主谋 (zhǔ móu) — to mastermind (a conspiracy), to be the chief i… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Refers to the person who plans and leads a conspiracy or crime — the 'mastermind' — more serious than 帮凶 (an accomplice who helps carry it out).

verb

to mastermind (a conspiracy)to be the chief instigator of

Examples

主谋。
Tā zhǔ móu le zhè cì qiǎng jié àn.
He masterminded this robbery case.
主谋。
Zhè ge yīn móu shì yóu tā zhǔ móu de.
This conspiracy was masterminded by him.
主谋。
Jǐng fāng rèn dìng tā zhǔ móu le zhè qǐ kǒng bù xí jī.
The police determined that he masterminded this terrorist attack.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

主 means to lead or manage, and 谋 means a plot, so 主谋 means to mastermind.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 謀; 谋 is its simplified writing.

言某謀

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

某

某mǒu謀móu

Same sound today

The traditional form 謀 uses 言 to show it relates to speech and 某 to show its sound; the simplified 谋 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

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