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竊竊

简窃窃 · 繁竊竊

Mandarin · pinyin qiè qiè

privately
secretly
unobtrusively

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窃: qiè · secretly, stealthily; steal; thief

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–4 · qie4 qie4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 3 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

adj

(literary, ideophonic, archaic) with careful discrimination; observing clearly
(ideophonic) talking in a low voice; whispering; in whispers

adv

secretly; privately; covertly; behind one's back

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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