諜

Carries the sense of speaking in secret, gathering hidden information, or communicating covertly. It refers both to the act of espionage (spying, reporting secretly) and to the person who performs it — the spy (間諜).

Phono-semantic compound composed of:

言 (말씀 언) — semantic component, meaning “speech,” “communication,” or “words.”

枼 (잎 엽) — phonetic component, giving the sound cheop (첩) and implying something layered, thin, or overlapping — evoking the imagery of hidden layers or secret documents.

Together, they suggest “layered speech” or “words exchanged in secret” — speech concealed, whispered, or coded.

間諜 (간첩) — spy; secret agent

諜報 (첩보) — intelligence; secret report

諜者 (첩자) — spy; informant

諜報員 (첩보원) — intelligence officer; agent

諜聽 (첩청) — eavesdropping; secret listening

諜報網 (첩보망) — intelligence network

反諜 (반첩) — counter-espionage

諜報戰 (첩보전) — intelligence warfare

In early China, 諜 denoted those who gathered or transmitted secret information, particularly in times of war or political unrest.

Its meaning combines both communication (言) and concealment, forming the foundation of the classical concept of espionage.

The earliest known reference comes from The Art of War (孫子兵法), where spycraft (用間) is described as essential for victory:

「知彼知己，百戰不殆。非諜不知也。」

“Know the enemy and know yourself — a hundred battles, no peril. Without spies, this cannot be known.”

Here, 諜 embodies intelligence, secrecy, and discernment — not merely deceit, but the disciplined art of gathering truth unseen.

In imperial China, 諜 systems developed under the Han and Tang dynasties for state surveillance and military intelligence.

The term 間諜 (“intermediary spy”) became the standard word for “spy” across East Asia — adopted in Korean (간첩) and Japanese (間諜, かんちょう / スパイ) alike.

Because it joins 言 (speech) with hidden intent, 諜 often implies duplicity or cunning intelligence — words used to conceal truth rather than reveal it.

Yet, in a broader sense, it represents strategic insight — the mind’s ability to discern what lies behind appearances.

「善諜者，無聲而知。」

“The best spy perceives without making a sound.”

Thus, 諜 embodies the paradox of wisdom in silence — the art of knowing without revealing, seeing without being seen.

諜 reminds us that knowledge can be both light and shadow.

To speak is to reveal, yet to survive one must sometimes conceal.

It symbolizes the delicate balance between truth and secrecy, between communication and caution — the subtle art of words that move unseen through the folds of the world.

「言有諜，智有隱。」

“Words have their secrets; wisdom has its concealment.”

In this way, 諜 stands as a character of hidden intellect and strategic perception — a testament to the silent power of awareness.