The Chinese term "黑手党" (hēishǒudǎng) for "Mafia" is a direct semantic translation and loan formation based on the Italian organization's nickname, "La Cosa Nostra". It is constructed from three characters: "黑" (hēi) meaning "black", symbolizing evil, secrecy, and illegality; "手" (shǒu) meaning "hand", representing the involved actors or agents; and "党" (dǎng) meaning "clique", "gang", or "faction", denoting an organized group. Thus, the compound word literally translates to "black-handed gang", effectively conveying the concept of a secretive, criminal organization through culturally resonant imagery.