偷偷 (tōutōu): stealthily

Meanings

Reduplication of 偷 intensifies the sense of secrecy

Tā tōutōu de líkāi le fángjiān.

He secretly left the room.

Háizi tōutōu chī le dàngāo.

The child secretly ate the cake.

Tā tōutōu de xiào le.

She laughed secretly.

grammar

偷偷 is typically followed by 地 (de) before a verb: 偷偷地 + verb. The 地 can be dropped in casual speech.

usage

偷偷摸摸 (tōutōu mōmō) is a four-character idiom meaning 'sneaky/furtive' and is more emphatic than 偷偷.

偷 tōu