偷电 (tōu diàn) — to steal electricity (illegally tap into the power grid or bypass the meter)

Definition

A verb-object phrase meaning 'to steal electricity' — tapping power illegally or bypassing the meter. Note the structure: 偷 (steal) takes 电 (electricity) as its object, not a separable verb.

verb
to steal electricity (illegally tap into the power grid or bypass the meter)

Examples

  • 偷电。
    Tā yīn wèi tōu diàn bèi fá le wǔ qiān kuài qián.
    He was fined five thousand yuan for stealing electricity.
  • 。
    Zhè jiā gōng chǎng tōu guò hǎo jǐ cì diàn.
    This factory has stolen electricity several times.
  • 偷电，。
    Lín jū huái yí tā zài tōu diàn, jiù bào le jǐng.
    The neighbor suspected he was stealing electricity and called the police.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

偷tōusteal
电diànelectricity

偷 means 'steal' and 电 means 'electricity', so illegally take electricity.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
俞
俞yú偷tōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 亻, a standing person, points to the idea of someone doing the act, while the right part 俞 gives the character its sound.

Open 偷 →

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →

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