捞 (lāo) - To scoop up & to fish for

捞Tone 1

lāo ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

捞 · lāo

To scoop up;

to fish for;

to dredge;

to gain or obtain by improper means.

To scoop upto fish forto dredge

Usage highlights

To salvageTo fish forTo scoop upTo捞取To捞本To捞油水

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He used a net to scoop fish from the pond (从池塘里捞鱼).
  • They tried to salvage the sunken ship (打捞沉船).
  • He managed to get a lot of money from the deal (从那笔交易中捞了很多钱).
  • She fished her keys out of her bag (从包里捞出钥匙).

Collocations

  • To salvage(打捞)
  • To fish for(捕捞)
  • To scoop up(捞起)
  • gain improperly(To捞取)
  • recoup losses(To捞本)
  • gain extra profit(To捞油水)

Idioms

  • To fish in troubled waters(浑水摸鱼)
  • Dredging the moon from the water(水中捞月)
  • clutch at straws(To捞稻草)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to the action of scooping or fishing from water using hands or tools.
  • In modern usage, often carries a negative connotation when referring to gaining profit or advantage improperly.
  • The character appears in colloquial expressions about making money or gaining benefits, sometimes with shady implications.

FAQ