间谍

• Pinyin: jiàn dié
• Hanzi breakdown: 间 = 门 (door) + 日 (sun) — between; 谍 = 讠 (speech) + 枼 (leaf, phonetic) — to spy

Meaning

Spy; secret agent. A person who secretly gathers information for a foreign country or competing organization.

Can refer to intelligence operatives working for governments (情报间谍) or corporate spies (商业间谍). Often appears in news, thriller fiction, and discussions of national security. The term carries serious connotations of betrayal and threat.

Examples

1. 这名潜伏多年的间谍终于被国家安全部门抓获。 This spy who had been undercover for many years was finally captured by national security.
2. 电影讲述了一位双面间谍惊心动魄的故事。 The movie tells the thrilling story of a double agent.
3. 公司怀疑有商业间谍泄露了核心技术机密。 The company suspects that a corporate spy leaked core technical secrets.

Usage Guide

Context: news, security, fiction

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 这部间谍片很好看。(This spy movie is great.)
• 反间谍工作非常重要。(Counter-espionage work is very important.)

Don't Say

• 随便说别人是'间谍' (Don't casually call someone a 间谍 — it's a serious accusation with legal implications)

Origin & History

Composed of 间 (between; gap) + 谍 (to spy). Originally 谍 alone meant a spy who operates in the gaps between groups.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal