偷窥

• Pinyin: tōu kuī
• Hanzi breakdown: 偷 = 亻(person) + 俞 — to steal; 窥 = 穴 (cave) + 规 — to peep

Meaning

To peep; to voyeuristically spy on; to secretly observe.

A more serious term than 偷看, often with connotations of invasion of privacy, especially involving observing someone's private activities without consent. Frequently used in legal and criminal contexts.

Examples

1. 在公共浴室偷窥他人是违法行为，可以被判刑。 Peeping at others in public bathhouses is illegal and can result in imprisonment.
2. 她发现有人通过窗户偷窥，吓得立刻报了警。 She discovered someone was peeping through the window and immediately called the police in fright.
3. 网上偷窥他人隐私同样属于侵犯隐私权。 Invading others' privacy online is equally a violation of privacy rights.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, privacy, crime

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 偷窥罪。(Voyeurism offense.)
• 偷窥隐私。(To invade privacy.)

Don't Say

• 把普通好奇叫'偷窥' (偷窥 has serious connotations — for innocent curiosity, use 好奇 or 偷看)

Origin & History

偷 means to steal/secretly, 窥 means to peep/spy — to spy on someone secretly.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal