抄袭

• Pinyin: chāo xí
• Hanzi breakdown: 抄 = 扌 (hand) + 少 (few, phonetic); 袭 = 龙 (dragon) + 衣 (clothing)

Meaning

To plagiarize; to copy (someone else's work). Used for academic dishonesty and intellectual property theft.

A serious accusation in academic, creative, and professional contexts. Can refer to copying text, ideas, designs, or creative works without attribution. Carries strong negative connotations.

Examples

1. 学生因为抄袭论文被取消了学位。 The student had their degree revoked for plagiarizing their thesis.
2. 这部电影被指控抄袭了日本漫画的情节。 This film was accused of plagiarizing the plot of a Japanese manga.
3. 设计师坚决否认自己抄袭了竞争对手的作品。 The designer firmly denied copying the competitor's work.

Usage Guide

Context: academic, creative, legal

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 学校对抄袭行为零容忍。(The school has zero tolerance for plagiarism.)
• 他被发现抄袭后，名誉扫地。(After being caught plagiarizing, his reputation was ruined.)

Don't Say

• 我抄袭了他的笔记 (For legitimately copying notes with permission, use 抄 alone — 抄袭 implies stealing intellectual work)

Origin & History

Compound of 抄 (to copy by hand) and 袭 (to inherit, to follow closely). Originally 抄 meant transcribing, which evolved to include copying improperly.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal