偷
tōu
The English phrase 'steal' can be translated into Chinese as 偷 (tōu). If unsure, use 偷. Wiktionary also lists 盜 / 盗 (dào) and 盜竊 / 盗窃 (dàoqiè).
Meaning: to illegally take possession of (verb)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 偷 | tōu |
| 盜 / 盗 | dào |
| 盜竊 / 盗窃 | dàoqiè |
The primary meaning of the verb is to illegally take possession of something. Beyond physical theft, 偷 is frequently used metaphorically to mean doing something secretly or stealthily, such as 偷懶 (tōu lǎn), which means 'to be lazy' (literally 'to steal laziness'). The noun form for the act of stealing is 盜竊 / 盗窃. Other related terms include 小偷 (thief) and 抢劫 (robbery).
Which one should you use?
While 偷 is a common way to express the idea, 盜竊 / 盗窃 is used to mean both 'to steal' and 'theft' in more formal contexts.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
tōu
Did you know?
- In its ideogrammic form, the word for 'steal' combines the concepts of 'drooling' (㳄) and a 'vessel' (皿) to represent the act of coveting someone else's possessions.
- While 偷 means 'steal', it is often used to describe a 'stolen' moment of time, such as 偷閒 for taking a secret break from work.
- In certain contexts, 偷 can describe a 'stolen' look or glance, where the act of looking is treated as an illegal taking of a sight.
Examples in context
- 每天晚上，当周围安静下来，他就会偷溜进邻居的花园里偷走一颗苹果。Every night, when all was quiet, he would steal into his neighbour's garden to scrump an apple.This sentence shows how 偷 can be used to describe someone entering a place stealthily.Tatoeba #13050390 by maina, translation #11593545 by sundown
- 你偷了多少錢？How much money did you steal?This sentence uses 偷 to ask about the amount of money stolen.Tatoeba #10450951 by DaoSeng, translation #6439001 by CK
- 饥饿促使他偷窃。Hunger urged him to steal.This sentence uses 偷 to describe the motivation behind a theft.Tatoeba #510693 by fucongcong, translation #295596 by rul
- 他被指控盗窃了珠宝店的首饰。He was charged with stealing jewelry from the jewelry store.
- 偷窃行为在我们社会中是不被容忍的。The act of stealing is not tolerated in our society.
- 他偷了我钱包里的现金。He stole the cash from my wallet.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “steal” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 偷, 盜, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
