侵吞

qīntūn

verb #33,446

Meanings

1 to embezzle
2 to misappropriate (funds, property)
3 to annex (territory)
4 to swallow up

Characters

to invade, to encroach

Examples

他侵吞了公司的公款。

Tā qīntūnle gōngsī de gōngkuǎn.

He embezzled the company's funds.

强国企图侵吞邻国领土。

Qiángguó qǐtú qīntūn lín guó lǐngtǔ.

The powerful country attempted to annex its neighbor's territory.

经理被指控侵吞客户的存款。

Jīnglǐ bèi zhǐkòng qīntūn kèhù de cúnkuǎn.

The manager was accused of embezzling clients' deposits.

Tips

usage

Two strands of meaning: financial crime (侵吞公款 'embezzle public funds', 侵吞资产 'misappropriate assets') and territorial aggression (侵吞土地 'annex land'). Both share the underlying image of greedily 'swallowing' something that doesn't belong to you. Compare 贪污 (tānwū, 'graft / corruption') which focuses on bribe-style corruption, while 侵吞 stresses outright misappropriation.

Stroke Order

侵 qīn

吞 tūn