盜

dào

rob, steal; thief, bandit

Meaning

  • Verb: To steal, rob, or take illicitly. Includes metaphorical extensions to usurping a position or taking non-material things (e.g., time, a glance).
  • Noun: A thief, robber, or bandit.

Grammar and usage

  • Functions as a standard transitive verb (盜 + object).
  • Context determines whether the glyph refers to the crime (verb) or the criminal (noun).

Distinctions

  • 盜 vs. 賊 (zéi): While often interchangeable, 盜 typically denotes stealthy acquisition of property, whereas 賊 often implies violence, rebellion, or political insurrection.
  • 盜 vs. 竊 (qiè): 竊 specifically emphasizes the surreptitious or secret nature of the act; 盜 is the broader term for the category of theft.

History and forms

  • Variant: U+76D7 (simplified).

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.