# 偷取 / 竊取 / 偷竊 / 竊盜



## 82riceballs

Hi all,

I'm trying to figure out the difference between the following words: 偷取 竊取 偷竊 竊盜.

It seems that 竊盜 is a more serious/legal term? whereas 偷取 竊取 偷竊 are formal, but not legal.

偷取 seems to be the least serious, meaning 偷拿走：
她從媽媽皮包裡偷取一千塊，買了一件洋裝。
I was told that in this case, using 竊取 偷竊 would be too serious.

However I'm not sure I understand the difference between 竊取 偷竊. 
The dictionary definition of the morpheme 竊 doesn't really help either: 盜取、偷。

Below, I've come up with a few scenarios: 
今日凌晨發現故宮博物院的翠玉白菜遭到(偷取/竊取/偷竊/竊盜)
紀念品館的翠玉白菜小吊飾遭到小孩(偷取/竊取/偷竊/竊盜)
(偷取/竊取/偷竊/竊盜)香油錢

Do any thoughts come to mind as to the differences between the different versions of the sentences?


----------



## SimonTsai

82riceballs said:


> 她從媽媽皮包裡*偷取*一千塊，買了一件洋裝。
> I was told that in this case, using *竊取* or *偷竊* would be too serious.


Yes. But I would say that using *偷竊* is incorrect not because of the extent of seriousness, but because *偷竊* is usually a noun meaning stealing.

Here is a more colloquial Mandarin expression: *偷了*.


82riceballs said:


> 今日凌晨發現故宮博物院的翠玉白菜遭到(*偷取*/*竊取*/*偷竊*/*竊盜*)


Both can be used.

I would say, '今日凌晨，故宮博物院的翠玉白菜疑似遭*偷竊*/*竊取*'.


82riceballs said:


> 紀念品館的翠玉白菜小吊飾遭到小孩(*偷取*/*竊取*/*偷竊*/*竊盜*)


The scenario sounds rather weird to me. I would say something like '一位五歲男童*順手牽羊*，將店家擺在桌上的吊飾放入口袋，媽媽竟未制止'.


82riceballs said:


> (*偷取*/*竊取*/*偷竊*/*竊盜*)香油錢


Which of the two is more appropriate and idiomatic depends on further context.


----------



## 82riceballs

SimonTsai said:


> Which of the two is more appropriate and idiomatic depends on further context.



Interesting! What different contexts come to mind when you hear *偷取*香油錢 vs *竊取*香油錢? Like does *竊取*香油錢 sound more surreptitious (like in the middle of the night vs in broad daylight?)


----------



## SimonTsai

82riceballs said:


> Like does *竊取*香油錢 sound more surreptitious?


Yes, methinks:

連姓男子因缺錢買毒，竟在光天化日之下，*偷取*香油錢。
有些駭客 (hacker) *竊取*他人資料，只是為了證明自己的能力。



SimonTsai said:


> Using *偷竊* is incorrect not because of the extent of seriousness, but because *偷竊* is usually a noun meaning stealing.


I have to add that *偷竊* can be used as a verb, and that when used as a verb, it normally does not precede anything. (I have just edited post 2.)

While *遭到偷竊* is a common connotation, *被偷竊* sounds weird, possibly because *被* sounds somewhat colloquial, and *竊* tends to be formal. *被**偷* would be good.

It is agreed that *竊盜* is always a noun.

COMPARISON & CONTRAST

Below is the general guidance, not the rule:

*偷取* something 
*竊取* something 
*偷竊* something 
*竊盜* something 
*偷* something 
something *遭到偷竊* 
something *遭到竊取* 
something *遭到偷取* 
something *遭到竊盜* 
something *被偷*


----------



## retrogradedwithwind

偷=窃，but 偷 is less serious. 
but the differences among 偷取 偷窃 窃取 窃盗 and more words like 偷盗 盗窃 盗取…… are different from person to person.




SimonTsai said:


> Below is the general guidance, not the rule:
> 
> *偷取* something
> *竊取* something
> *偷竊* something
> *竊盜* something
> *偷* something
> something *遭到偷竊*
> something *遭到竊取*
> something *遭到偷取*
> something *遭到竊盜*
> something *被偷*



I accept all... but 被偷 被盗 被窃 is much more idiomatic.


----------



## Skatinginbc

偷 (e.g., 小偷): to secretly (趁人不知) take/do without the consent of the owner (e.g., 偷錢, 偷食) or the authority (e.g., 偷情, 偷跑, 偷拍, 偷渡).

竊 (e.g., 慣竊, 内竊): to unjustly/unlawfully (背理枉法) take, misappropriate (e.g., 剽竊), or usurp (e.g., 竊位, 竊占, 竊用); to embezzle, to steal from within (《說文解字注》盜自中出曰竊, 小徐曰, 所謂亂在內爲宄也).

盜 (e.g., 強盜, 海盜, 外盗): to appropriate, to take for one's own use or benefit (《說文》私利物也;《正字通》凡隂私自利者皆謂之盜); to illegally/immorally (犯法違德) snatch, seize, or raid (e.g., 盜墓, 盜獵); to break in, to commit burglary, to steal from outside (《說文解字》外爲盗，内爲宄).

從皮包裡偷走一千元。
故宮翠玉白菜遭竊/被盗。
小吊飾被小孩偷走/扒走。
偷取/竊取/盜取香油錢。


----------



## Silver

Skatinginbc said:


> to secretly (趁人不知) take/do without the consent of the owner (e.g., 偷錢, 偷食) or the authority (e.g., 偷情, 偷跑, 偷拍, 偷渡).



A very good explanation but I beg to disagree:

"To secretly take/do without the awareness of the owner", I was just thinking "to secretly take with the consent of the owner", will the owner agree if he/she knows? Absolutely not.


----------



## Skatinginbc

Well, Taiwan may secretly (暗中, 非公開, 在中國不知情之下) obtain intelligence from CSIS with the consent (or approval) of the Canadian government.  It is NOT 偷情報 because the owner (i.e., Canada) gives her consent.

A couple may secretly (暗中, 非公開, 在大眾不知情之下) date with the approval of their parents.  It is NOT 偷情 because the authority (i.e., parents) give their approval.


----------



## Silver

Skatinginbc said:


> Well, Taiwan may secretly (暗中, 在中國不知情之下) obtain intelligence from CSIS with the consent (or approval) of the Canadian government.  It is NOT 偷情報 because the owner (i.e., Canada) gives its consent.
> 
> A couple may secretly (暗中, 非公開) date with the approval of their parents.  It is NOT 偷情 because the authority (i.e., parents) give their approval.



I agree, Skatinginbc, and it's true in some specific context, people do know what you think they might not know, but we're talking about a more specific context, the pickpocket ones, more often than people, people who are being stolen know nothing about the situation.


----------



## Skatinginbc

Silverobama said:


> we're talking about a more specific context, the pickpocket ones.


But isn't it obvious that my definition was given for general purposes, a definition so broad that can accommodate such examples as 偷情, 偷跑, 偷拍, 偷渡?


----------



## Silver

Hello Skatinginbc, no offense. I am not saying that you're wrong, okay? I just want to say that if I were you, I would say "without the awareness of others", this is my observation, I think if the owner knows someone who's picking their pockets, they will stop them instead of letting them do so, because you're using the example of 小偷。

Okay, I'll stop here.


----------



## 1g2x3y”

窃取is like 窃取 someone's result and outcome


----------



## ya256644

To me, 偷/竊/盜 all means to steal, they are more or less the same, 偷 is more frequently used in colloquial context, whereas 竊/盜 are more formal

As a verb, 偷 can be used independently, but not 竊/盜, i.e. you can say to 偷 sth but not 竊/盜 sth

However, 偷取/竊取/盜取 (consist of the first character 偷/竊/盜 "to steal" and the second character 取 "to take") can all be used as a verb, sounds more written like than 偷, I agree that 竊取/盜取 is slightly more formal and written than 偷取

偷竊 and 盜竊/竊盜 (consist of characters which all means "to steal") are usually nouns, and rarely as verbs and sounds written, much formal than 偷取/竊取/盜取

In formal or legal terms, the crime is usually called 盜竊(罪)/竊盜(罪), also 偷竊(罪) or 偷盜(罪)

one may 竊取 anything, but it is also frequently related to confidentiality or power, e.g. 竊取機密, 竊取權力
竊聽 (to eavesdrop/eavesdropping) means to listen secretly to what other people are saying


----------

