窥 (kuī) — (bound form) to peep, to spy (used in compounds like 窥视, 窥探)
Definition
A bound (书面) verb root meaning 'to peep, spy' — almost always combined with 视/探/见 to form compounds like 窥视 and 窥探. Rarely stands alone.
bound form
to peepto spy (used in compounds like 窥视, 窥探)
Examples
- 。Tā tōu tōu de kuī shì zhe fáng jiān lǐ de dòng jìng.He secretly peeked at what was happening in the room.
- 。Jǐng chá zhèng zài kuī tàn xián yí rén de xíng zōng.The police are spying on the suspect's whereabouts.
- 。Bú yào tōu kuī bié rén de yǐn sī.Don't peep into other people's privacy.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 窺; 窥 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
規
規guī窺kuī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 窺 puts 穴 (hole) beside 規, which gives the sound; the simplified 窥 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.
Appears in
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