---
title: "Xiaotou Meaning: 小偷 (xiǎotōu) Means “thief”"
description: "小偷 (xiǎotōu) means “thief; pickpocket”. Hear its tones, see what 小 and 偷 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/xiaotou"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 小偷 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

小偷 xiǎotōu

## thief; pickpocket

## Its characters

1. 小 xiǎo small
2. 偷 tōu to steal

## In a sentence

坐地铁的时候要小心小偷。 Watch out for pickpockets when taking the subway.

[More about 小偷](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%B0%8F%E5%81%B7)

## More words with 小 or 偷

- [从小 cóngxiǎo](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/congxiao)
- [大小 dàxiǎo](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/daxiao)
- [缩小 suōxiǎo](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/suoxiao)
- [偷窥 tōukuī](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/toukui)
- [偷偷 tōutōu](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/toutou)
- [小吃 xiǎochī](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/xiaochi)
- [小丑 xiǎochǒu](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/xiaochou)
- [小孩 xiǎohái](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/xiaohai)
- [小伙子 xiǎohuǒzi](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/xiaohuozi)
- [小姐 xiǎojie](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/xiaojie)

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[Type pinyin with tone marks](https://mandarinthewild.com/pinyin-tone-marks)

[How it compares with Duolingo](https://mandarinthewild.com/compare/duolingo)