挖 (wā) - To dig, to excavate, to scoop out & also used metaphorically for uncovering or exposing something.
挖 · wā
To dig, to excavate, to scoop out;
also used metaphorically for uncovering or exposing something.
To dig, to excavate, to scoop outalso used metaphorically for uncovering or exposing something.
Usage highlights
To digTo excavateTo dig a holeTo dig a trenchTo dig outTo scoop out
Usage & contexts
Examples
- Workers are digging a trench (挖沟).
- He dug a hole in the garden (挖洞).
- Archaeologists excavated ancient ruins (挖掘古迹).
- The reporter dug up a scandal (挖出丑闻).
Collocations
- To dig(挖掘)
- To excavate(挖土)
- To dig a hole(挖洞)
- To dig a trench(挖沟)
- To dig out(挖出)
- To scoop out(挖空)
Idioms
- To dig one's own grave(挖自己的坟墓)
- To dig for treasure(挖宝)
- To dig the corner(挖墙角 - undermine someone's position)
- To dig out the heart(挖心掏肺 - speak from the heart)
Cultural background
FAQ- The character combines the hand radical (扌) with the phonetic component 穵, indicating manual digging action.
- Metaphorically used in business and politics to describe undermining competitors or exposing secrets.
- Appears in traditional agricultural contexts as a fundamental farming activity.