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心狠手辣

xīn hěn shǒu là

ruthless and vicious

Character by character

心xīn
heart
狠hěn
cruel
手shǒu
hand
辣là
harsh

Example

电视剧里的反派一个比一个心狠手辣。
The villains in the drama are each more ruthless than the last.

Tone: negative (criticism).

Usage and origin

For villains, gangsters and ruthless rivals.

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