Definitions
(verb)
to steal; to take secretly
(pronoun)
(humble) I
About
The character "窃", whose traditional form is "竊", originally conveyed a meaning of petty theft, particularly the pilfering of grain, as suggested by its intricate composition. This traditional form combined the radical "穴" (hole) with other components that denoted rice and an ancient insect, painting a picture of vermin secretly carrying away food from a storehouse. Over centuries, while its core notion of stealing remained, its application broadened to encompass more abstract forms of wrongful taking, such as plagiarizing ideas or usurping positions. The modern simplified form "窃" significantly altered this original pictorial logic by discarding the complex lower portion and retaining only the "穴" radical, pairing it with the component "切", which primarily serves a phonetic function in this construction, thus streamlining the character while distancing it from its etymological roots.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他窃取了资料。
小偷盗窃了钱包。
她窃听了他的电话。
窃贼被警察抓住了。
他因盗窃罪被判刑。
商业间谍窃取了公司秘密。
防止数据窃取是重要任务。
他们窃取技术成果的行为可耻。