盗版
dào bǎn · HSK 6
pirated
🏴☠️💿 盗 dào = steal + 版 bǎn = edition/printing plate
Literally stolen edition — 盗 is the verb to steal/rob, 版 means a printing plate or edition. Together: an unauthorized copy. Contrast with 正版 zhèngbǎn (legitimate edition), where 正 means proper/correct.
盗 — 次 (drool/desire) + 皿 (dish/vessel)
Originally depicted someone drooling (次, showing saliva 氵 next to a person yawning 欠) over a vessel of food (皿), capturing the idea of coveting what belongs to others. The meaning extended from coveting to stealing, and today 盗 means 'to steal' or 'thief/robber'.
版 — 片 (slice/board) + 反 (phonetic 'fǎn')
版 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 片 component means a thin slice or board of wood, indicating the meaning, while 反 supplies the sound. Originally it referred to wooden writing tablets or printing blocks, which extended to today's senses of 'edition,' 'printing plate,' and 'version.'