Chinese word

贼

Pronunciation

Pinyinzéi

Meaning

  • nounthief

Example

他们抓住了那个贼。tā men zhuā zhù le nà ge zéi

They caught that thief.

Illustration for 贼 (thief)

More examples

警方捣毁了一个贼窝。jǐng fāng dáo huǐ le yí gè zéi wō

The police destroyed a thieves' den.

Core concept

A boundary-crosser who treats another person's belongings as available for taking.

Common phrases

  • 小贼xiǎo zéi

    petty thief

  • 贼窝zéi wō

    thieves' den

Similar words

小偷xiǎo tōu: A person who secretly steals small things, often without being noticed.
盗窃者dào qiè zhě: A person who takes other people's property through theft.
扒手pá shǒu: A person who steals from pockets or bags in crowded places.

Definition in Chinese

指以非法手段窃取他人财物的人。zhǐ yǐ fēi fá shǒu duàn qiè qǔ tā rén cái wù de rén

Word origin

The written form 贼 (zéi, "thief") joins 贝 (bèi, "shell; money") + 戎 (róng, "arms; warfare"), linking the idea of property with hostile seizure.

Usage tips

  • In some northern colloquial speech, 贼 (zéi, "thief") can come before an adjective as an intensifier meaning very, but this regional use is not the safest choice in formal or nationally neutral speech.

Other meanings

  • banditnoun
  • pickpocketnoun

Opposites

  • 良民liáng mínlaw-abiding citizennoun

Related words

  • 贼头贼脑zéi tóu zéi nǎofurtiveidiom
  • 盗贼dào zéibanditnoun

Word lists with this word