The word 偷听 is formed by combining the character 偷, meaning "to steal", with 听, meaning "to listen". This creates a vivid conceptual blend where the act of listening is metaphorically framed as a covert, furtive action, akin to stealing sound or information. The listener is implicitly positioned as someone taking what is not openly offered, visualizing the action as one done in secret, without the knowledge or permission of those being heard. The entire compound thus paints a miniature scene of clandestine eavesdropping through the direct, pictorial logic of its components.