贼
賊zéi
HSK 6
#1,998 most
frequent character
thief, wily, deceitful, evil
noun
adjective
Character breakdown
Source: Make Me a Hanzi.
贼 joins a sound part 贼 without 戈 zé, normally written 则, with 戈, a lance-like weapon. The weapon part points to the first meaning, 'to harm, injure.' That grew to traitor, then thief, and then deceitful.
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Example Sentences
这个城市有很多贼。
zhègè chéngshì yǒu hěnduō zéi 。
There are many thieves in this city.
他的行为非常贼。
tāde xíngwéi fēicháng zéi 。
His behavior is extremely deceitful.
我觉得这件事情很贼。
wǒ juéde zhè jiàn shìqíng hěn zéi 。
I think this matter is very evil.
Words with similar meanings
小偷xiǎotōu
thief
A more common term specifically referring to a person who steals, typically used in casual contexts.
狡猾jiǎohuá
cunning
This is an adjective that conveys a sense of cleverness in a deceitful way, often used in a more descriptive sense.
邪恶xiéè
evil
Refers to something that is morally wrong or wicked, used in more serious contexts compared to 贼.
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