贼 (zéi) is a Chinese character meaning “thief”. It is written from 贝 (shell) and 戎 (weapons; military), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “thief”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
贝 + 戎
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（贝4画 + 戎6画 = 10画）；构形理据未确认，不标意符/声符
Memory aid
Grab the money (贝, a shell once used as currency) and carry weapons (戎) — that is a thief or bandit. This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 盗贼dào zéithieves and robbers; bandits贼 = zéi
- 窃贼qiè zéithief; burglar贼 = zéi
Go deeper
All readings
thief
thief; bandit; traitor; sly, crafty
偷东西的人；也指危害国家或人民的坏人。形容人狡猾。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 盗贼dào zéithieves and robbers; bandits贼 = zéi
- 窃贼qiè zéithief; burglar贼 = zéi
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 贼 mean?
贼 (zéi) means thief; bandit; traitor; sly, crafty.
How do you pronounce 贼?
It is pronounced zéi.
What parts is 贼 made of?
贝 (shell) and 戎 (weapons; military), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（贝4画 + 戎6画 = 10画）；构形理据未确认，不标意符/声符. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 贼 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 贼?
贝. 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 贼?
Common ones are 盗贼 and 窃贼. The reading of 贼 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.