贼(zéi)

HSK 7-910 strokesTrad. 賊

thief

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Stroke order animation

Character information

Pinyin
zéi
Meaning
thief; robber; (bound form) traitor; subversive; (bound form) evil; wicked; sly; shifty; devious; (literary) to harm; to injure; (coll.) extremely; insanely; damn (common in NE China and Taiwan)
Strokes
10
HSK level
HSK 7-9
Traditional
賊

Origin & structure

Where 贼 comes from and how its parts fit together.

Phonetic-semantic compound⿰贝戎

In this compound, the meaning comes from 戎 (weapons); 贝 supplies the sound.

One part carries the meaning, the other suggests the sound.

Made of

贝bèi戎róng

Parts are arranged left to right.

How to write 贼 step by step

10 strokes — each frame adds one stroke, shown in dark ink over the lighter ones.

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Words with 贼

Common words using 贼 — tap any character to open its stroke-order page.

zuò作zéi贼

to be a thief

Open 作贼 page →
fǎn反zéi贼

(imperial China) rebel; traitor; (post-1949) enemy of the state; counter-re…

Open 反贼 page →
pàn叛zéi贼

renegade; traitor

Open 叛贼 page →
luàn乱chén臣zéi贼zǐ子

rebels and traitors (idiom)

Open 乱臣贼子 page →
zuò做zéi贼xīn心xū虚

to feel guilty as a thief (idiom); to have sth on one's conscience

Open 做贼心虚 page →
qín擒zéi贼qín擒wáng王

(idiom) to defeat the enemy by capturing their leader

Open 擒贼擒王 page →
mín民zéi贼dú独fū夫

tyrant and oppressor of the people (idiom); traitorous dictator

Open 民贼独夫 page →
hǎi海zéi贼

pirate

Open 海贼 page →

Related characters

More HSK 7-9 characters

丁丐丘丙丛丝丫丸

From 贼’s common words

作反叛乱臣子做心

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