Taxonomy of meanings for 偷:　　

  • 偷 tōu (OC: lʰoo MC: tʰəu) 託侯切 平 廣韻：【盗也爾雅云佻偷也謂苟且託侯切四 】
    • SECRET
      • vadVfurtively, in an unreglemented and irresponsible secretive way, secretly, unofficially；using underhand methods; in ways that do not tolerate the light of day
      • vi(of actions) be secretive, be hidden, be non-public
      • viactengage in secretive unreglemented action, engage in fraudulent underhand action
      • vtoNdeal secretly and irresponsibly as well as fraudulently with
    • STEAL
      • vadNthieving; thievish
      • vtoNsurreptitiously acquire; secretly enjoy
    • THIEF
      • v[adN]thief
    • TAKE
      • NEGLECT
        • FRIVOLOUS
          • vadVirresponsibly, in an unprincipled wayLZ
          • viunprincipledCH
          • vadNirresponsible, opportunist, unprincipledLZ
        • FIND
          • ADULTERY
            • CRAFTY
            • tōuLAZY
              • vibe slack, be lazyLZ

            Additional information about 偷

            說文解字:

              Criteria
            • SECRET

              1. The current general word for something being kept secret from the general public, but it remaining accessible to an inner circle, is mì 密 (ant. míng 明 "openly, for everyone to see").

              2. Yǐn 隱 (ant. xiǎn 顯 "manifestly, demonstratively") refers primarily to hiding something or being hidden from everyone except the person who is hiding it.

              3. Yīn 陰 (ant. míng 明 "openly, for everyone to see") refers to covert actions hidden from a certain person group.

              4. Tōu 偷 (ant. zhèng 正 "regularly and openly") refers to unreglemented inappropriate secrecy.

              5. Sī 私 (ant. gōng 公 "openly") focusses on the aspect of discreetness in secrecy.

              6. Jiàn 間 (ant. zhèng 正 "straightforwardly") refers to the secretiveness of secret agents in espionage and the like.

              7. Wēi 微 (ant. zhí 直 "straightforwardly") typically refers to secrecy achieved through indirectness or subtlety in the form of communication.

              8. Àn 暗 / 闇 (ant. míng 明 "openly, for everyone to see") gains its nuance from the original meaning of darkness and focusses on the shadiness of secretive action.

            • STEAL

              1. The current general word for any form of stealing is qiè 竊 and this word in no way suggests that the person who steals is in fact a professional or habitual thief.

              2. Dào 盜 refers to a clandestine operation of stealing that may be on a fairly small scale, but typically by a person who specialises in stealing, a dào 盜 "thief".

              3. Rǎng 攘 refers specifically to an act of taking another's property from a place other than his own home.

              4. Tōu 偷 refers to stealthy and illicit enjoyment or sometimes misappropriation of something.