chaparder

An informal verb meaning to pilfer or swipe small, usually low-value things — a kid stealing fruit from an orchard, or someone helping themselves to office supplies. Lighter and less serious in tone than voler (to steal).

• Enfants, on chapardait des pommes dans le jardin du voisin. — As kids, we used to swipe apples from the neighbor's garden.
• Quelqu'un chaparde des stylos au bureau. — Someone's been pilfering pens at the office.
• Il a été surpris en train de chaparder des bonbons. — He was caught pilfering candy.

Chaparder softens the act compared to voler — using voler for a child sneaking a piece of fruit sounds unduly harsh; chaparder captures the minor, almost mischievous scale of the theft.