偷

• Pinyin: tōu
• Hanzi breakdown: 偷 = 亻 (person) + 俞 (phonetic component) — to steal

Meaning

To steal; stealthily; secretly. The act of taking something without permission, or doing something covertly.

As a verb, means to steal or pilfer. As an adverb, means secretly, stealthily, or on the sly. 偷懒 (to slack off), 偷看 (to peek), 偷笑 (to snicker), 偷偷 (secretly). Can describe furtive actions that aren't necessarily criminal.

Examples

1. 小偷趁没人注意偷走了她的钱包。 The thief stole her wallet when no one was paying attention.
2. 他上班时总是偷偷玩手机。 He always secretly plays on his phone during work.
3. 孩子偷吃了冰箱里的蛋糕。 The child sneaked a taste of the cake from the refrigerator.

Usage Guide

Context: crime, everyday, behavior

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 有人偷了我的自行车。(Someone stole my bicycle.)
• 他偷偷告诉我一个秘密。(He secretly told me a secret.)

Don't Say

• 说'偷了他的心'表示让他爱上自己 (While 偷心 exists poetically, in everyday speech say 让他爱上我 — 偷 usually implies wrongdoing)

Origin & History

偷 is composed of 亻 (person) + 俞 (phonetic). Originally meant a thief, now primarily means the act of stealing.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal