窥Tone 1

kuī ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

窥 · kuī

to peep;

to spy;

to pry;

to observe secretly;

to glimpse.

to peepto spyto pry

Usage highlights

to peepto spy onto glimpseto observe secretlypeeping holeto peep at

Synonyms

窥视— to peep, to spy
窥探— to pry into, to spy on
窥察— to observe secretly

Antonyms

正视— to face directly, to look squarely at
直视— to look directly at
公开观察— to observe openly

Usage & contexts

Examples

He tried to peep through the keyhole (从锁孔窥视).
The detective spied on the suspect (侦探窥探嫌疑人).
We caught a glimpse of the celebrity (我们窥见了那位名人).
She secretly observed their meeting (她窥察了他们的会面).

Collocations

to peep(窥视)
to spy on(窥探)
to glimpse(窥见)
to observe secretly(窥察)
peeping hole(窥孔)
to peep at(窥看)

Idioms

To peep at a leopard through a tube(管窥豹)
To peep at the sky from the bottom of a well(井底窥天)
To peep at the world through a crack(窥其一斑)
To peep at the enemy's situation(窥敌虚实)

Cultural background

The character 窥 carries connotations of secrecy and often implies improper or covert observation.
In traditional Chinese culture, peeping or spying is generally considered immoral behavior.
The character appears in several classical idioms warning against limited perspective or improper investigation.

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