挹 (yì) - to ladle out & to dip

挹Tone 4

yì ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

一懿

挹 · yì

to ladle out;

to dip;

to draw (water);

to pour;

to bale;

figuratively, to humble oneself or yield.

to ladle outto dipto draw (water)

Usage highlights

ladle outdraw waterladle souphumble praiseladle and pourmodest and yielding

Synonyms

  • 舀— to ladle, to dip
  • 汲取— to draw, to derive

Antonyms

  • 注— to pour into
  • 盈— full, overflowing

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He ladled soup into the bowl (挹汤入碗).
  • The ancients used a gourd ladle to draw wine (挹酒).
  • One should humble oneself and praise others (挹己推人).

Collocations

  • ladle out(挹取)
  • draw water(挹水)
  • ladle soup(挹汤)
  • humble praise(挹赞)
  • ladle and pour(挹注)
  • modest and yielding(谦挹)

Idioms

  • Draw from a full vessel to fill a shallow one(挹彼注兹)
  • Praise with modesty(挹盈注虚)
  • Draw from the deep to fill the shallow(挹彼注此)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted the action of ladling liquids, especially in ritual or ceremonial contexts.
  • In classical texts, used metaphorically for transferring resources or knowledge from abundance to scarcity.
  • Associated with Confucian values of humility and modesty in self-presentation.

FAQ