奸细

奸細

jiānxì

noun #20,407

Measure Word

一个奸细 gè

Meanings

1 spy
2 traitor
3 mole
4 agent (of the enemy)

Characters

treacherous / wicked

fine / detailed / covert

Examples

军中混进了一个奸细，泄露了机密。

Jūn zhōng hùnjìnle yī gè jiānxì, xìelòule jīmì.

A spy had infiltrated the army and leaked classified information.

古代战争中，奸细往往会被处以极刑。

Gǔdài zhànzhēng zhōng, jiānxì wǎngwǎng huì bèi chǔ yǐ jíxíng.

In ancient warfare, traitors and spies were often executed.

Tips

register

奸细 has a classical and literary register, commonly encountered in historical novels, TV dramas set in ancient China, and war narratives. Modern equivalents include 间谍 (jiàndié, spy) and 内奸 (nèijiān, mole).

Stroke Order

奸 jiān

细 xì