窺 (kuī) - To peep & to spy

窺Tone 1

kuī ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

窺 · kuī

To peep;

to spy;

to observe secretly;

to catch a glimpse of.

To peepto spyto observe secretly

Usage highlights

To peepTo spy onTo catch a glimpseTo peep through a crackTo observe secretlyTo peek at

Synonyms

  • 窥视— to peep, to spy
  • 窥探— to spy on, to investigate secretly
  • 偷看— to steal a look, to peek

Antonyms

  • 正视— to face directly, to look squarely at
  • 公开— open, public
  • 坦率— frank, straightforward

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He peeped through the keyhole (从钥匙孔窥视).
  • I caught a glimpse of the secret document (窥见秘密文件).
  • They tried to spy on the enemy's movements (窥探敌人的动向).
  • One can see the whole picture from a small part (管中窥豹).

Collocations

  • To peep(窥视)
  • To spy on(窥探)
  • To catch a glimpse(窥见)
  • To peep through a crack(窥隙)
  • To observe secretly(窥伺)
  • To peek at(窥看)

Idioms

  • To look at the sky from the bottom of a well(坐井窥天)
  • To see a leopard through a bamboo tube(管中窥豹)
  • To peep at a beautiful woman(窥视美人)
  • To spy on someone's privacy(窥人隐私)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character contains the 'cave' radical (穴), suggesting looking through an opening or hole.
  • In traditional Chinese culture, peeping or spying is generally considered improper behavior.
  • The character appears in several classical idioms warning against limited perspectives.
  • Historically associated with surveillance and intelligence gathering in military contexts.

FAQ