Definitions

kōu (verb) to dig out; to pick out (with fingers)
kōu (adjective) stingy; miserly
kōu (verb) to carve; to cut

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 抠 primarily denotes the physical action of digging out or picking with a finger or tool. It is a phono-semantic compound: the left semantic radical 扌 indicates a hand action, while the right phonetic component 区 provides the pronunciation 'kōu'. Its traditional form 摳 pairs the same hand radical with the unsimplified phonetic element 區. Beyond this literal meaning, 抠 commonly describes someone exceptionally stingy or miserly in colloquial use, metaphorically evoking tight-fisted scrutiny over small details.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个人很门。

zhè gè rén hěn kōu mén.

This person is very stingy.

妈妈叫我别鼻子。

mā ma jiào wǒ bié kōu bí zi.

Mom told me not to pick my nose.

那个伤口。

bié kōu nà gè shāng kǒu.

Don't scratch that wound.

得很紧。

tā kōu qián kōu de hěn jǐn.

He is very tight with money.

细节得很仔细。

tā kōu xì jié kōu de hěn zǐ xì.

He pays close attention to details.

字眼儿得让人不耐烦。

tā kōu zì yǎn er kōu de ràng rén bù nài fán.

She nitpicks over words to the point of being annoying.

图是图像处理的一种技术。

kōu tú shì tú xiàng chǔ lǐ de yī zhǒng jì shù.

Keying is a technique in image processing.

在预算上得太死会影响项目质量。

zài yù suàn shàng kōu de tài sǐ huì yǐng xiǎng xiàng mù zhì liàng.

Being too stingy with the budget can affect project quality.