窥 (kuī) · to peep, to peek, to spy on

Meanings

1 to peep
2 to peek
3 to spy on
4 to pry into

Characters

窥

kuī

to peep; to spy on

Examples

HSK 6

他偷窥邻居的隐私，被投诉了。

Tā tōukuī línjū de yǐnsī, bèi tóusù le.

He was reported for spying on his neighbor's privacy.

HSK 7-9

这本书让我们得以一窥古代宫廷生活。

Zhè běn shū ràng wǒmen déyǐ yī kuī gǔdài gōngtíng shēnghuó.

This book gives us a glimpse into ancient court life.

Tips

usage

Common compounds: 偷窥 (to peep/voyeur), 窥探 (to spy/probe), 内窥镜 (endoscope). 一窥 means 'to get a glimpse of'.

Components

radical

穴 xué

cave; hole

Top cave radical, five strokes - a roof with two splayed legs, a dwelling carved into a hillside. Anchors 窥 as something done through a hole: to peep, spy through a crack. The radical sets the scene of a hidden vantage. Same family: 窗, 空, 突, 穿.

phonetic

规 guī

compass; rule

Bottom 规 supplies the sound - guī drifting to kuī through a regular g/k alternation in old readings. Originally 规 pictured a man-with-compass-and-eye, meaning 'to measure, to spy out, to plan.' That seeing-component fits nicely: 窥 is 'to look secretly through an opening,' an act of measured peeking.