Chinese word

偷窥

Pronunciation

Pinyintōu kuī

Meaning

  • verbsnoop

Example

别偷窥别人隐私。bié tōu kuī bié rén yǐn sī

Don't invade other people's privacy by snooping.

Illustration for 偷窥 (snoop)

More examples

他在社交媒体上偷窥别人的照片。tā zài shè jiāo méi tǐ shàng tōu kuī bié rén de zhào piān

He snoops through other people's photos on social media.

Core concept

A hidden look aimed at private information, made through a gap, from a hiding place, or behind a screen.

Common phrases

  • 偷窥照片tōu kuī zhào piān

    snoop through photos

  • 暗中偷窥àn zhōng tōu kuī

    secretly snoop

  • 偷窥陌生人资料tōu kuī mò shēng rén zī liào

    snoop through strangers' information

Similar words

窥视kuī shì: Peering secretly through an opening or from far away with close attention.
偷看tōu kàn: Sneaking a quick look at something while trying not to be noticed.
偷听tōu tīng: Listening secretly to someone's conversation or speech without permission.
监视jiān shì: Keeping watch over a person, place, or thing continuously for supervision or safety.

Definition in Chinese

秘密或未经允许地观察他人，既包括从缝隙或暗处用肉眼偷看，也包括无授权查看手机、消息等隐私的行为。mì mì huò wèi jīng yún xǔ dì guān chá tā rén jì bāo kuò cóng fèng xì huò àn chù yòng ròu yǎn tōu kàn yě bāo kuò wú shòu quán chá kàn shǒu jī xiāo xī děng yǐn sī de xíng wéi

Word origin

偷窥 (tōukuī, "snoop") is formed from 偷 (tōu, "secretly") and 窥 (kuī, "peer through an opening"), extending the older image of peeping to private information.

Usage tips

  • The word is useful when describing a privacy boundary being crossed, including unauthorized access to a person's phone or messages, not merely ordinary curiosity.

Other meanings

  • peepverb
  • spy onverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 偷窥欲tōu kuī yùurge to snoopnoun

Word lists with this word