noun
Refers to a person who steals, often with a nuance of criminality or villainy. Can be used in compounds like 盗賊 (bandit) or 海賊 (pirate).
昨夜、賊が家に押し入った。
Last night, a burglar broke into the house.
彼は賊に財布を盗まれた。
He had his wallet stolen by a thief.
noun
Used for someone who betrays or rises against authority, often in historical or political contexts. Common in compounds like 逆賊 (rebel) or 反賊 (traitor).
その武将は賊として討たれた。
The warlord was killed as a rebel.
彼は国を裏切った賊と呼ばれた。
He was called a traitor who betrayed his country.
泥棒 is the most common word for 'thief' or 'burglar' in everyday speech, while 賊 is more formal and often appears in compounds or news.
盗人 is a slightly old-fashioned or literary term for 'thief', similar in register to 賊 but less common in modern compounds.
The kanji 賊 originally depicted a person (貝) and a weapon (戈), suggesting harm or plunder. The reading ぞく is the on'yomi, used in many compounds.