窥 meaning and stroke order
To peep, to spy on, to watch
How to write 窥, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 窥
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to peep
- to pry into
- variant of 窺|窥[kui1]
How 窥 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hole.
穴 gives the meaning and 规 hints at the sound.
Radical: 穴 (cave), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 窥
The top part 穴 (xué) means a hole, and the bottom 规 (guī) gives the sound. Picture someone pressing an eye to a small hole in a wall to peep at what is on the other side.
窥 (kuī) is mostly found in two-character words rather than alone, such as 偷窥 (tōukuī), 窥探 (kuītàn) and 窥视 (kuīshì). It suggests secret or hidden watching, often with a negative tone. Example: 有人在窗外偷窥。(Yǒu rén zài chuāng wài tōukuī.) Someone is peeping in from outside the window.
Common mistake: Learners often read it as guī because of the phonetic part 规, but the correct reading is kuī with a first tone. Also do not drop the 穴 top and write only 规, which means rule or regulation.
Common words with 窥
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 偷窥 | tōukuī | to peep; to peek | HSK 7-9 |
| 窥探 | kuītàn | to pry into or spy on; to snoop | |
| 窥视 | kuīshì | to peep at; to spy on | |
| 偷窥狂 | tōukuīkuáng | voyeur; peeping tom |
窥 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 窥
How many strokes are in 窥?
窥 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 窥 mean?
窥 (kuī) means to peep, to spy on, to watch. A common word with it is 偷窥 (tōukuī), meaning "to peep; to peek".
How do you pronounce 窥?
窥 is pronounced kuī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 窥?
The radical of 窥 is 穴, which carries the idea of "cave". Dictionaries list 窥 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 窥?
The traditional form of 窥 is 窺 and 闚. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 窥 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 窥 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 窥 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 窥视 and 看?
看 (kàn) is the neutral everyday word for look or watch. 窥视 (kuīshì) means to watch secretly or spy on, and it often implies bad intentions.
Can 窥 be used in a figurative sense?
Yes. In written Chinese it can mean to get a glimpse of or understand something partly, as in the idiom 管中窥豹 (guǎn zhōng kuī bào), seeing a leopard through a tube, meaning having a limited view.