特首

'特首' is the common term for the Chief Executive, the head of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. This title replaced the colonial-era '港督' (Governor) after 1997. It is an abbreviation of the full title, '特别行政区行政长官' (Tèbié Xíngzhèngqū Xíngzhèng Zhǎngguān). As the city's top leader, the '特首' is constantly in the news. For Mandarin learners wanting to follow current events in Hong Kong, this is a high-frequency, essential vocabulary word. Understanding the role of the '特首' is fundamental to grasping the modern political structure of Hong Kong and how the city is administered today.