siu2 tau1小偷
Jyutpingsiu2 tau1
Yalesíu tāu
Definition
Thief or burglar who slips into houses quietly to steal.
colloquialpeoplehome
How it's used
While 小偷 is a standard term, locals often use 賊 or 扒手 for specific contexts. 扒手 specifically refers to a pickpocket, whereas 小偷 is a more general term for someone who steals. In casual conversation, people might also use the slang term 躝癱 to describe a petty thief or a lowlife.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
A thief broke into the house and stole things earlier.
Have you seen any thieves hanging around nearby?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse 小偷 with 搶匪, as the latter implies the use of force or robbery, whereas 小偷 typically involves stealth and avoiding detection.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
