偸 (tōu) - To steal & to pilfer

偸Tone 1

tōu ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

婷婉

偸 · tōu

To steal;

to pilfer;

to take secretly;

to act stealthily.

To stealto pilferto take secretly

Usage highlights

To stealTo steal a lookTo steal a kissTo pilfer and smuggleTo steal a lifeStealthily happy

Synonyms

  • 偷— to steal (standard simplified form)
  • 盗— to rob, to steal
  • 窃— to steal secretly

Antonyms

  • 赠— to give as a gift
  • 还— to return, to give back
  • 献— to offer, to dedicate

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He was caught trying to steal (偷) from the store.
  • She sneaked a look at the test answers (偷看).
  • They stole the company's trade secrets (偷窃商业秘密).
  • He leads a life of stealth and deception (偷生).

Collocations

  • To steal(偷窃)
  • To steal a look(偷看)
  • To steal a kiss(偷吻)
  • To pilfer and smuggle(偷运)
  • To steal a life(苟且偷生)
  • Stealthily happy(偷着乐)

Idioms

  • To muddle along(苟且偷生)
  • Stealing the sky and changing the sun(偷天换日)
  • Stealing chickens ends up losing rice(偷鸡不着蚀把米)
  • Stealing a bell with covered ears(掩耳盗铃)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character carries a strongly negative moral connotation, associated with dishonesty and criminal behavior.
  • In Confucian ethics, stealing is considered one of the most serious breaches of moral conduct.
  • The concept appears in many Chinese idioms and proverbs warning against dishonest behavior.

FAQ