How to Write 剽 (piāo) — Meaning “rob or swift”

Imagine a thief quickly cutting a ticket (票) with a knife (刂) to steal it. This visual of a 'swift robbery' connects the components to both meanings: rob and swift. Repeat the pinyin 'piāo' as you picture the slash.

Start with the left part 票: first write 西 (top), then 示 (bottom) — do not confuse the bottom with 小. Finish with the right radical 刂: the vertical stroke is straight and the knife stroke slashes left. A common mistake is making the left side too narrow; keep it balanced.

剽 uses 票 on the left, while 剩 has 乘 (ride) on top and 副 has 畐 (full) on the left. Visually, 剩 has a '乘' with a cross shape, and 副 has a flat left side. In meaning, 剽 is about stealing or swiftness, 剩 means 'leftover', and 副 means 'deputy' or 'a pair'.

剽 appears mostly in formal words like 剽窃 (plagiarize) and 剽悍 (agile and fierce). In China, 剽窃 is a serious accusation in academia and media, carrying social stigma. The character is rarely used alone, so focus on these compound words for natural usage.

Common words containing 剽 include: 剽窃 (piāo qiè) — plagiarize; 剽悍 (piāo hàn) — agile and fierce; 剽取 (piāo qǔ) — plagiarize or steal.