挖

wā
扌 + 穵
HSK 3.0Level 6

Definitions

wā (verb) to dig; to excavate

Etymology

To dig out 扌 a hollow 穵; 穵 also provides the pronunciation

About

The character 挖 is a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic radical 扌(hand) indicates a manual action, while the phonetic component 窊(wā), meaning "hollow", provides the pronunciation. The character fundamentally means to dig, scoop, or excavate, as in creating a hole in the earth. This action extends metaphorically to mean uncovering information, exploring concepts, or poaching personnel from another organization.

Example Sentences Hide

他在挖土。

Tā zài wā tǔ.

He is digging soil.

孩子们在沙滩挖洞。

Háizimen zài shātān wā dòng.

The children are digging holes on the beach.

工人们正在挖掘地基。

Gōngrénmen zhèngzài wājué dìjī.

The workers are excavating the foundation.

考古学家仔细挖掘文物。

Kǎogǔ xuéjiā zǐxì wājué wénwù.

The archaeologists carefully excavate cultural relics.

他们挖出了一条地下通道。

Tāmen wā chūle yī tiáo dìxià tōngdào.

They dug out an underground passage.

公司想挖走竞争对手的人才。

Gōngsī xiǎng wā zǒu jìngzhēng duìshǒu de réncái.

The company wants to poach talent from its competitor.

工程师们正在挖掘数据中的潜在规律。

Gōngchéngshīmen zhèngzài wājué shùjù zhōng de qiánzài guīlǜ.

The engineers are mining the underlying patterns in the data.

为了可持续发展，我们不能过度挖掘自然资源。

Wèile kě chíxù fāzhǎn, wǒmen bù néng guòdù wājué zìrán zīyuán.

For sustainable development, we must not over-exploit natural resources.

Related Characters

Component: 扌

把 提 打 报 接 指 据 拉 持 技 找 推 投 护

Example Words

挖坑 挖掘 挖空 挖苦 挖土机 挖坟 挖掉 挖掘机 挖机 挖洞 挖墙脚 挖穴 挖角 挖开 耳挖 耳挖勺 开挖