掘 (jué) - To dig & to excavate

掘Tone 2

jué ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

傑君

掘 · jué

To dig;

to excavate;

to unearth;

to delve into.

To digto excavateto unearth

Usage highlights

To excavateTo dig a wellTo dig a trenchTo unearth treasureManual diggingMechanical excavation

Synonyms

  • 挖— to dig
  • 凿— to chisel, to dig

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • They dug a well (掘井).
  • Archaeologists excavated the ancient tomb (挖掘古墓).
  • He is digging for information (挖掘信息).
  • The machine is used for trenching (掘沟机).

Collocations

  • To excavate(挖掘)
  • To dig a well(掘井)
  • To dig a trench(掘壕)
  • To unearth treasure(掘宝)
  • Manual digging(手掘)
  • Mechanical excavation(机掘)

Idioms

  • Unable to advance or retreat(进退维掘)
  • To dig one's own grave(自掘坟墓)
  • To unearth the old to make way for the new(掘旧立新)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character is associated with manual labor, archaeology, and foundational work.
  • In a metaphorical sense, it can mean to investigate or delve deeply into a subject.
  • It appears in idioms warning against self-destructive actions, such as 'digging one's own grave'.

FAQ