窃贼 (qièzéi): thief; burglar

Measure Word

一个窃贼 gè

警察抓住了那个窃贼。

Jǐngchá zhuāzhù le nàge qièzéi.

The police caught the thief.

窃贼从窗户爬进了房子。

Qièzéi cóng chuānghù pá jìn le fángzi.

The burglar climbed into the house through the window.

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窃贼 is a formal/written word for thief. In casual speech, 小偷 (xiǎotōu) is far more common. 窃贼 appears in news reports, legal texts, and literature.

窃 qiè

贼 zéi