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窥 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
窥kuīto peep, to spy on, to watchv, 13 strokes, radical 穴, rank #19146, Very Hard
窥kuīto pry intounknown, 13 strokes, radical 穴, rank #19146, Very Hard
kuī(kui1) T1
  1. 1to peep, to spy on, to watch
  2. 2to pry into
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

窥(窺)kuī(kui1)

The character 窥 (kuī) means 'to peep' or 'to spy on.' It is commonly used in contexts where someone is secretly watching or looking into something, often with a sense of curiosity or invasion of privacy. This character can carry a negative connotation depending on the context, implying deceit or intrusiveness.

Strokes13Radical穴Frequency#19146DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the act of spying or peeping can be associated with traditional stories of intrigue and secrecy, reflecting the importance of privacy and respect in social interactions. It can also connect to the concept of 'face' (面子), where invading someone's privacy might cause a loss of face.

Memory Tip

Imagine a curious cat (the character 窥) peeking through a small window (the radical 窗, which relates to windows and openings). The sound 'kuī' can be remembered by the image of the cat whispering 'shh' as it spies on its owner's activities.

Meanings of 窥

kuī(kui1)
1to peep, to spy on, to watch
2to pry into
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 窥

窥Simplified
窺Traditional
13Strokes
穴Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 窥

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Podcast: 窥

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 窥

Quick Contrast

窥 (kuī) vs 望 (wàng) — use 窥 when the action implies secretive or intrusive observation, while 望 is for general looking or gazing.

Usage Notes

Be careful with the tone when pronouncing 窥, as mispronunciation can lead to confusion with similar-sounding words. This word is more often used in informal contexts. Common collocations include 窥视 (kuī shì, to peep) and 窥探 (kuī tàn, to spy on).

HSK Study Tips

Although 窥 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects with other verbs of observation, such as 看 (kàn, to look) and 观察 (guānchá, to observe). Focus on how to use it in sentences that express secretive or sneaky actions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 窥 with similar characters like 看 (kàn) which means 'to look.' For example, saying '我在窥书' (wǒ zài kuī shū) instead of '我在看书' (wǒ zài kàn shū) which means 'I am reading a book.' Use 窥 only in contexts of secretive observation.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 窥

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Etymology of 窥

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 穴 represents the meaning and 规 represents the sound. Simplified form of 窺.

Memory Hint

hole

Semantic (meaning)穴
+
Phonetic (sound)规
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 窥

Phonosemantic compound. 穴 represents the meaning and 规 represents the sound. Simplified form of 窺.

  1. 1The meaning half穴 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half规 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhole
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 窥? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 窥?

Decomposition of 窥

IDS Structure⿱穴规
窥Full Character
=
穴xue2
top
规gui1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 窥?

How to say to peep, to spy on, to watch in Chinese

“to peep, to spy on, to watch” in Chinese is窥kuī

The character 窥 (kuī) means 'to peep' or 'to spy on.' It is commonly used in contexts where someone is secretly watching or looking into something, often with a sense of curiosity or invasion of privacy. This character can carry a negative connotation depending on the context, implying deceit or intrusiveness.

When to use 窥

Be careful with the tone when pronouncing 窥, as mispronunciation can lead to confusion with similar-sounding words. This word is more often used in informal contexts. Common collocations include 窥视 (kuī shì, to peep) and 窥探 (kuī tàn, to spy on).

窥 or something close to it

窥 (kuī) vs 望 (wàng) — use 窥 when the action implies secretive or intrusive observation, while 望 is for general looking or gazing.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 窥 with similar characters like 看 (kàn) which means 'to look.' For example, saying '我在窥书' (wǒ zài kuī shū) instead of '我在看书' (wǒ zài kàn shū) which means 'I am reading a book.' Use 窥 only in contexts of secretive observation.

Write 窥

窥

Practice writing 窥 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 窥

窥 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

她看见在金的宾馆房间周围____探的那个人正是里卡多。

Ricardo was the one she'd seen snooping around Kim's hotel room.

Example Sentences for 窥 (4)

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1
她看见在金的宾馆房间周围窥探的那个人正是里卡多。

tā kàn jiàn zài jīn de bīn guǎn fáng jiān zhōu wéi kuī tàn de nà gè rén zhèng shì lǐ kǎ duō。

Ricardo was the one she'd seen snooping around Kim's hotel room.
2
皮特在他家外面种上了高大的树以阻止人们窥探。

pí tè zài tā jiā wài miàn zhǒng shàng le gāo dà de shù yǐ zǔ zhǐ rén mén kuī tàn。

Pitt planted tall trees outside his home to block rubberneckers.
3
我通过篷车帘子的破洞窥视。

wǒ tōng guò péng chē lián zǐ de pò dòng kuī shì。

I peered through a tear in the van's curtains.
4
他向炉子里窥视,想看看里面的馅饼是否已经烘好了.

tā xiàng lú zǐ lǐ kuī shì, , xiǎng kàn kàn lǐ miàn de xiàn bǐng shì fǒu yǐ jīng hōng hǎo.

He peeked into the oven at a pie baking there.

Word Family of 窥

Words Containing This Character10
偷窥tōukuīto peep偷窺
窥kuīto peep窺
窥视to peep at窺視
窥探to snoop窺探
内窥镜endoscope內窺鏡
窥伺to spy upon窺伺
管窥to have a restricted view管窺
管中窥豹lit. to see a leopard through a narrow tube (idiom); fig. to miss the big picture管中窺豹
窥望to peep窺望
窥豹一斑lit. see one spot on a leopard (idiom); fig. a restricted view窺豹一斑
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 偷窥 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 窥

While 窥 often has a negative connotation, it can be used in a neutral context when discussing curiosity or observation, particularly in literature.

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