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监守自盗 (jiān shǒu zì dào) — to embezzle; to steal what one is entrusted to guard

Definition

A chengyu meaning to steal the very thing one is supposed to be guarding — i.e., a trusted insider who embezzles or pilfers. Always implies betrayal of a position of trust, unlike a plain 偷 or 盗.

idiom
to embezzleto steal what one is entrusted to guard

Examples

  • 监守自盗，。
    Nà ge cái wù jīng lǐ jìng rán jiān shǒu zì dào, juàn zǒu le gōng sī yí dà bǐ qián.
    That financial manager actually embezzled — he made off with a huge sum of company money.
  • 监守自盗。
    Bǎo ān jiān shǒu zì dào de xíng wéi bèi shè xiàng tóu pāi le xià lái.
    The security guard's act of stealing what he was guarding was caught on camera.
  • 监守自盗，。
    Zhè ge àn zi jiù shì diǎn xíng de jiān shǒu zì dào, fù zé rén lì yòng zhí wù biàn lì tōu zǒu le kù cún shāng pǐn.
    This case is a classic example of embezzlement — the person in charge used his position to steal the inventory.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

监守supervise and guard
监jiānsupervise守shǒuguard
联合Coordinate
自盗steal by oneself
自zìself盗dàosteal
偏正Modifier + head

监守 and 自盗 set guarding beside stealing, naming embezzlement by a guard.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 監; 监 is its simplified writing.

  • 臥臥wòa person with an emphasized eye
  • 皿皿mǐncontainer

The traditional form 監 shows 臥, a person with an emphasized eye, looking into 皿, a container; the simplified 监 is a later shorthand.

Open 监 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 宀宀miánroof; building
  • 寸寸cùnhand

守 pairs 宀, a roof or building, with 寸, a hand, to show a hand guarding a place.

Open 守 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 自 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 盜; 盗 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 盜 combines 㳄 (drooling/craving) with a vessel shape, meaning to covet someone else's possessions and steal; 盗 is the simplified writing of 盜.

Open 盗 →
Appears in
Crime & PoliceIdioms & Set Phrases

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