A housebreaker is a thief who gets into someone else’s house by force — breaking a lock, smashing a window, forcing a door — in order to steal. It is not a casual word for any thief. A pickpocket on the street is not a housebreaker; the point is the house, and the breaking in.

A housebreakerhousebreaker這個字 is a thief who gets into someone else's house by force指的是用強行的方式闖進別人家裡的小偷 — breaking a lock, smashing a window, forcing a door ———像是撬鎖、打破窗戶、硬把門弄開 in order to steal為的是要偷東西 It is not a casual word for any thief這不是隨便哪個小偷都能用的字 A pickpocket on the street is not a housebreaker街上的扒手不算housebreaker the point is the house, and the breaking in重點在於那間房子，還有闖進去這個動作

The word is more at home in British English and in older legal or newspaper language. In everyday talk now, many people just say burglar, or someone broke into the house. Housebreaker still turns up in crime reports and in stories, and it sounds a little formal, even grim.

The word is more at home in British English這個字比較常出現在英式英文裡 and in older legal or newspaper language以及比較舊的法律或新聞用語裡 In everyday talk now在現在的日常對話裡 many people just say burglar很多人就直接說burglar or someone broke into the house或是說有人闖進了房子 Housebreaker still turns up in crime reports and in storiesHousebreaker還是會出現在犯罪報導和故事裡 and it sounds a little formal, even grim而且聽起來有點正式，甚至有點陰沉

It names the person; the crime itself is housebreaking.

It names the person這個字指的是人 the crime itself is housebreaking那個罪行本身則叫做housebreaking