偷 tōu to steal
to steal; thief; stealthily
How to remember 偷: 亻 person + 俞 dugout boat = to steal. At night a sneaky person slips into the harbour in a tiny dugout boat, planning to steal the fisherman's catch.
Component breakdown
偷 = 亻 person + 俞 dugout boat
- 亻 person
- 俞 dugout boat
At night a sneaky person slips into the harbour in a tiny dugout boat, planning to steal the fisherman's catch.
How it is used
- Means to steal, and by extension 'to do something on the sly' - 偷东西 (tōu dōngxi) steal things; 偷偷 (tōutōu) stealthily; 小偷 (xiǎotōu) a thief.
- The 'sneakily' sense is productive: 偷懒 (tōulǎn) slack off, 偷看 (tōukàn) peek, 偷拍 (tōupāi) take photos secretly.