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剜 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
剜wānto cut; to cut out, to pick out, to scoop outv, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #37829, Very Hard
剜wānto gouge outunknown, 10 strokes, radical 刂, rank #37829, Very Hard
wān(wan1) T1
  1. 1to cut; to cut out, to pick out, to scoop out
  2. 2to gouge out
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

剜wān(wan1)

The character 剜 (wān) means to cut out, scoop out, or gouge out something, often referring to a more forceful or deliberate action than simply cutting. It is commonly used in contexts involving food preparation, such as removing the insides of vegetables or fruits, and can also refer to more intense actions like gouging out material from a surface.

Strokes10Radical刂Frequency#37829DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, the technique of scooping out or gouging out ingredients is an essential skill, especially when preparing dishes like stuffed vegetables. This reflects the importance of presentation and texture in Chinese cooking.

Memory Tip

Imagine a chef (the radical 刀, meaning knife) using a sharp knife to scoop out the insides of a pumpkin. The sound 'wān' can remind you of 'waning,' like how the knife wanes away the pumpkin's insides, leaving it hollow.

Meanings of 剜

wān(wan1)
1to cut; to cut out, to pick out, to scoop out
2to gouge out
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 剜

剜Simplified
10Strokes
刂Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 剜

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Podcast: 剜

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AI Study Notes for 剜

Quick Contrast

挖 (wā) - use 剜 (wān) when emphasizing a more forceful or deliberate action in cutting out, while 挖 (wā) is more general and can refer to digging or excavating.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 剜 with similar verbs like 切 (qiē), which simply means 'to cut.' This term tends to be more informal and is rarely used in very formal contexts. Common collocations include 剜肉 (wān ròu, to scoop out meat) or 剜心 (wān xīn, to gouge out the heart).

HSK Study Tips

Although 剜 is not part of the standard HSK vocabulary, it can be related to other action verbs like 切 (qiē) and 剪 (jiǎn). Students should focus on the nuances of cutting actions, as this will help differentiate 剜 from more commonly used terms.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 剜 with 切 and use it inappropriately in contexts where a softer action is intended. For example, saying '我想要剜水果' (Wǒ xiǎng yào wān shuǐguǒ) instead of '我想要切水果' (Wǒ xiǎng yào qiē shuǐguǒ) can sound overly aggressive.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 剜

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Etymology of 剜

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

knife

Semantic (meaning)刂
+
Phonetic (sound)宛
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 剜

  1. 1The meaning half刂 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half宛 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayknife
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 剜? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 剜?

Decomposition of 剜

IDS Structure⿰宛刂
剜Full Character
=
宛Wan3
left
刂dao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 剜?

How to say to cut; to cut out, to pick out, to scoop out in Chinese

“to cut; to cut out, to pick out, to scoop out” in Chinese is剜wān

The character 剜 (wān) means to cut out, scoop out, or gouge out something, often referring to a more forceful or deliberate action than simply cutting. It is commonly used in contexts involving food preparation, such as removing the insides of vegetables or fruits, and can also refer to more intense actions like gouging out material from a surface.

When to use 剜

Be cautious not to confuse 剜 with similar verbs like 切 (qiē), which simply means 'to cut.' This term tends to be more informal and is rarely used in very formal contexts. Common collocations include 剜肉 (wān ròu, to scoop out meat) or 剜心 (wān xīn, to gouge out the heart).

剜 or something close to it

挖 (wā) - use 剜 (wān) when emphasizing a more forceful or deliberate action in cutting out, while 挖 (wā) is more general and can refer to digging or excavating.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 剜 with 切 and use it inappropriately in contexts where a softer action is intended. For example, saying '我想要剜水果' (Wǒ xiǎng yào wān shuǐguǒ) instead of '我想要切水果' (Wǒ xiǎng yào qiē shuǐguǒ) can sound overly aggressive.

Write 剜

剜

Practice writing 剜 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 剜

剜 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 2

Complete the Sentence

把梨烂的地方____掉.

Scoop out the rotten part of the pear.

Example Sentences for 剜 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
把梨烂的地方剜掉.

bǎ lí làn de dì fāng wān diào.

Scoop out the rotten part of the pear.
Exercise 1 of 1

Reorder the Sentence

Scoop out the rotten part of the pear.

Tap tokens to build the sentence

Word Family of 剜

Words Containing This Character1
剜wānto scoop out
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 剜 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 剜

No, 剜 specifically refers to cutting out or scooping out, often implying a more forceful action, unlike the general cutting verb 切.

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