贼

• Pinyin: zéi
• Hanzi breakdown: 贼 = 贝 (shell/wealth) + 戎 (weapon) — one who takes wealth by force

Meaning

Thief; burglar; traitor. A person who steals or, historically, a rebel or enemy of the state.

In modern usage primarily means thief. Historically also meant traitor or rebel (叛贼, 国贼). Colloquially used as an adverb meaning 'very' in northern dialects: 贼好看 (really good-looking). Compounds: 小偷小贼 (petty thieves), 做贼心虚 (a guilty conscience).

Examples

1. 警方经过数日追踪，终于将入室盗窃的贼缉拿归案。 After several days of tracking, the police finally arrested the thief who broke into homes to steal.
2. 做贼心虚，他一听到警笛声就心跳加速。 Guilty people get jumpy—he heard the siren and his heart started racing.
3. 古语说得好，贼喊捉贼，说的就是这种人。 As the old saying goes, “The thief cries ‘Stop thief!’”—that’s exactly the kind of person he is.

Usage Guide

Context: crime, idioms, colloquial speech

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 他发现家里被贼光顾过，立刻报了警。(He discovered his home had been visited by thieves and immediately called the police.)
• 这个贼竟然在光天化日之下行窃，胆子太大了。(This thief actually stole in broad daylight — what audacity!)

Don't Say

• 你是贼 as a casual insult — this is a serious accusation; in casual speech use 小偷 for thief or avoid direct accusations

Origin & History

Pictographic character showing a person (亻) with a weapon (戈), originally meaning to harm or injure

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal