盗 meaning and stroke order
To steal; to rob; to plunder
How to write 盗, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 盗
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to steal
- to rob
- to plunder
- thief
- bandit
- robber
How 盗 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 皿 (dish), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 盗
盗 is 次 (cì) sitting on top of a dish 皿 (mǐn). Picture someone eyeing a dish that is not theirs and quietly taking it, and you have a thief.
盗 is mostly used in compounds and formal or written contexts, such as 盗窃 (dàoqiè) for theft in legal language, 盗版 (dàobǎn) for pirated goods, and 海盗 (hǎidào) for pirates. In everyday speech people usually say 偷 (tōu) for simply stealing something. Example: 这是盗版书。(Zhè shì dàobǎn shū.) This is a pirated book.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top part as 欠 alone or as 冫 plus something else, but it is 次, with two short strokes on the left of 欠. Also do not confuse 盗 with 盖 (gài, to cover) or 盘 (pán, plate), which share the 皿 bottom.
Common words with 盗
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 强盗 | qiángdào | to rob (with force); bandit | HSK 6 |
| 盗版 | dàobǎn | pirated; illegal | HSK 6 |
| 海盗 | hǎidào | pirate | HSK 7-9 |
| 盗窃 | dàoqiè | to steal | HSK 7-9 |
| 防盗 | fángdào | to guard against theft; anti-theft | HSK 7-9 |
| 防盗门 | fángdàomén | security door | HSK 7-9 |
| 盗贼 | dàozéi | robber | |
| 大盗 | dàdào | thief; bandit (esp. one who has gained notoriety) | |
| 偷盗 | tōudào | to steal | |
| 盗用 | dàoyòng | to use illegitimately; to misappropriate; to embezzle | |
| 盗取 | dàoqǔ | to steal (including identity theft, credit card fraud or theft of computer account); to mi |
盗 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 盗
How many strokes are in 盗?
盗 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 盗 mean?
盗 (dào) means to steal; to rob; to plunder. A common word with it is 强盗 (qiángdào), meaning "to rob (with force); bandit".
How do you pronounce 盗?
盗 is pronounced dào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 盗?
The radical of 盗 is 皿, which carries the idea of "dish". Dictionaries list 盗 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 盗?
The traditional form of 盗 is 盜. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 盗 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 盗 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 盗 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 盗 and 偷?
偷 (tōu) is the everyday verb for stealing, like 他偷了我的钱 (He stole my money). 盗 sounds more formal or serious and appears mainly in fixed words like 盗窃, 强盗 and 盗版.
How do you say a hacked or stolen account with 盗?
Chinese uses 盗号 (dàohào) for stealing someone's online account, as in 我的号被盗了 (wǒ de hào bèi dào le), my account was hacked. Here 被盗 (bèi dào) means to be stolen.