Chinese word

歹徒

Pronunciation

Pinyindǎi tú

Meaning

  • nounthug

Example

街角有几个歹徒在抢手机。jiē jiǎo yǒu jǐ gè dǎi tú zài qiǎng shǒu jī

There are a few thugs on the street corner snatching phones.

Illustration for 歹徒 (thug)

More examples

警方在夜间巡逻时发现了几名歹徒并展开搜捕。jǐng fāng zài yè jiān xún luó shí fā xiàn le jǐ míng dǎi tú bìng zhǎn kāi sōu bǔ

During a nighttime patrol, the police discovered several thugs and began searching for and arresting them.

Core concept

A bad actor stands over others with threats or force to get an unlawful benefit.

Common phrases

  • 抓获歹徒zhuā huò dǎi tú

    capture thugs

  • 歹徒作案dǎi tú zuò àn

    thugs commit crimes

  • 歹徒行径dǎi tú xíng jìng

    thugs' conduct

Similar words

强盗qiáng dào: A person who threatens others or uses force to steal money or valuable belongings.
暴徒bào tú: People who use violence in a crowd and disturb public order.
匪徒fěi tú: Armed bandits who attack places or steal goods as a group.

Definition in Chinese

称呼用胁迫、暴力等方式从事抢劫或作案的个人或团体，带有否定评价。chēng hū yòng xié pò bào lì děng fāng shì cóng shì qiǎng jié huò zuò àn de gè rén huò tuán tǐ dài yǒu fǒu dìng píng jià

Word origin

歹徒 (dǎitú, "thug") is built from 歹 (dǎi, "bad") + 徒 (tú, "person or follower"), framing the offender as a member of a bad crowd and explaining why the word can refer to one person or a group.

Usage tips

  • Because it carries a clear judgment, this word can sound excessive when applied to a rude person, a cheat, or someone who breaks a minor rule.

Other meanings

  • criminalnoun

Opposites

  • 良民liáng míngood citizennoun
  • 守法公民shóu fǎ gōng mínlaw-abiding citizennoun

Word lists with this word