偷

tōu
#1,282 most
frequent character
steal
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

偷 pairs 亻, person, with 俞 yú, the sound part. It first meant degenerate or not sincere. From there came secretly, and then to steal.

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Example Sentences

他在商店里偷了东西。
tāzài shāngdiàn lǐ tōule dōngxī 。
He stole something in the store.
不要偷别人的东西！
búyào tōu biérén de dōngxī ！
Don't steal other people's things!
警方抓住了偷窃的嫌疑犯。
jǐngfāng zhuāzhù le tōuqiè de xiányífàn 。
The police captured the suspect who stole.

Words with similar meanings

窃取qièqǔ
to pilfer
窃取 (qièqǔ) is often used in a more formal or legal context compared to 偷 (tōu).
盗取dàoqǔ
to steal (usually of valuable things)
盗取 (dàoqǔ) implies a more serious or significant form of stealing, such as theft of important items.

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