媮 (tōu) - To steal & to pilfer

媮Tone 1

tōu ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

婷婉

媮 · tōu

To steal;

to pilfer;

to take secretly;

also an archaic variant of 愉 meaning pleasure or enjoyment.

To stealto pilferto take secretly

Usage highlights

To stealTo pilferTo take pleasureTo be happyTo sneak awayTo behave frivolously

Synonyms

  • 偷— to steal (modern equivalent)
  • 窃— to steal secretly
  • 盗— to rob, to steal
  • 愉— pleasure, enjoyment (for the alternate meaning)

Antonyms

  • 还— to return, give back
  • 赠— to give as a gift
  • 给— to give

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He was caught stealing (媮窃) from the store.
  • They took pleasure (媮乐) in simple things.
  • The thief sneaked in to steal (媮盗).
  • She enjoyed (媮快) the peaceful afternoon.

Collocations

  • To steal(媮窃)
  • To pilfer(媮盗)
  • To take pleasure(媮乐)
  • To be happy(媮快)
  • To sneak away(媮逃)
  • To behave frivolously(媮薄)

Idioms

  • No specific idioms with 媮 are commonly used in modern Chinese

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 媮 is an archaic character that appears in classical texts with dual meanings of stealing and pleasure.
  • In modern usage, 偷 has largely replaced 媮 for the meaning of stealing.
  • The character carries negative connotations when used in its primary meaning of theft.

FAQ