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" originates from its traditional form "摳", which combines the hand radical (扌) with the phonetic component "區" to denote the physical action of digging or scraping with the fingers. This structure informed its early meanings centered on manual manipulation, but over centuries the term acquired additional metaphorical senses, extending to describe behaviors of excessive frugality or an overly meticulous attention to trivial matters. The simplified form "抠" preserves the hand radical while incorporating the simplified phonetic "区", aligning with the original pronunciation but modifying the graphical composition. The semantic expansion from a concrete action to an abstract trait of stinginess or nitpicking represents the core shift in the character's usage, though the older physical sense remains occasionally applicable.

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.