tau1 teng1偷聽偷听
Jyutpingtau1 teng1
Yaletāu tēng
Definition
To eavesdrop; to listen to other people's conversation secretly without them knowing.
colloquialdaily actionspeople
How it's used
Carries a strong negative connotation of being sneaky or intrusive. It is frequently used in casual settings to describe someone who is being nosy or prying into private matters. Unlike simply listening, it implies an active effort to remain undetected while gathering information.
Examples
Why are you eavesdropping on people talking at the door?
They seem to have secrets, don't eavesdrop so much.
Related words
Common phrases
to eavesdrop on a phone call
to eavesdrop on secrets
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 聽開, which simply means to listen to something regularly or habitually. Using 偷聽 to describe listening to music or a podcast would imply you are doing so illicitly or in secret.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
