偷鸡摸狗

偷雞摸狗
tōujīmōgǒu
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to steal chickens and grope for dogs
  2. 2 petty thievery
  3. 3 shady, underhanded behavior (including illicit affairs)

Examples

Nà bāng xiǎo hùnhun zhěng tiān tōu jī mō gǒu.
That gang of hoodlums is always up to petty thievery.
Tā yǐjīng gǎiguò zìxīn, bù zài tōu jī mō gǒu le.
He's turned over a new leaf and given up his shady ways.
Bié zài bèihòu tōu jī mō gǒu, zhèngdà guāngmíng de zuòshì.
Don't sneak around behind people's backs — do things openly and honorably.

Tips

usage
Covers both petty theft and sneaky misconduct including illicit affairs (hinted at in 《红楼梦第四十四 usage). Strongly negative, informal.

Stroke Order

tōu
gǒu