petty thief; villain
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 4 examplesnoun
petty thief; small-time criminal
informalOften used to describe a minor criminal, especially a thief. Can be used in modern contexts, though slightly archaic or colloquial in tone.
Zhuā抓
dào到
yī一
gè个
tōu偷
qián钱
bāo包
de的
máo毛
zéi贼
。
They caught a petty thief who stole a wallet.
Zhè这
jǐ几
gè个
máo毛
zéi贼
jìng竟
gǎn敢
lái来
tōu偷
dōng东
xi西
。
These petty thieves dared to come and steal.
noun
villain; person who harms the people or the nation
literaryUsed in a broader, more political or moral sense to denote a traitor, enemy of the people, or harmful individual. This sense is often used in historical or literary contexts.
Zhè这
xiē些
mài卖
guó国
qiú求
róng荣
de的
máo毛
zéi贼
zhōng终
jiāng将
bèi被
lì历
shǐ史
shěn审
pàn判
。
These traitorous villains who sell out the country for personal gain will ultimately be judged by history.
Zài在
gǔ古
diǎn典
xiǎo小
shuō说
lǐ里
，
nà那
xiē些
huò祸
hài害
bǎi百
xìng姓
de的
guān官
yuán员
cháng常
bèi被
chēng称
zuò作
máo毛
zéi贼
。
In classical novels, officials who brought disaster to the common people were often called villains.