窃 (qiè) is a Chinese character meaning “to steal”. It is written from 穴 (cave; hole) and 切 (to cut), one above the other, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to steal”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
穴 + 切
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 《汉字简化方案》简化字（繁体作 竊）；现代字形 从穴、切声，切 qiè 与字音相同（现代字形已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：穴 5 画 + 切 4 画 = 9 画）
Memory aid
Someone sneaks into a cave (穴) and cuts (切) off a share for themselves when no one is looking — that is stealing.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 偷窃tōu qièto steal; theft窃 = qiè
- 窃听qiè tīngto eavesdrop; to wiretap窃 = qiè
- 窃贼qiè zéithief; burglar窃 = qiè
Go deeper
All readings
to steal; secretly
to steal; theft; secretly, furtively
偷；偷偷地、暗中地。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 偷窃tōu qièto steal; theft窃 = qiè
- 窃听qiè tīngto eavesdrop; to wiretap窃 = qiè
- 窃贼qiè zéithief; burglar窃 = qiè
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 窃 mean?
窃 (qiè) means to steal; theft; secretly, furtively.
How do you pronounce 窃?
It is pronounced qiè.
What parts is 窃 made of?
穴 (cave; hole) and 切 (to cut), one above the other. The recorded source is: 《汉字简化方案》简化字（繁体作 竊）；现代字形 从穴、切声，切 qiè 与字音相同（现代字形已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：穴 5 画 + 切 4 画 = 9 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 窃 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 窃?
穴. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 窃?
Common ones are 偷窃 and 窃听. The reading of 窃 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.