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掘 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
掘juéto digHSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #8780, Very Hard
掘juéto dig, to excavateHSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #8780, Very Hard
jué(jue2) T2
  1. 1to dig
  2. 2to dig, to excavate
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March 24, 2026

掘jué(jue2)

The character 掘 (jué) means 'to dig' or 'to excavate.' It is commonly used in contexts related to digging into the ground, such as construction, mining, or gardening. The nuance of this term often conveys a sense of deeper digging or exploration, rather than just surface-level activity.

Strokes11Radical扌Frequency#8780DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, digging often symbolizes uncovering hidden knowledge or wisdom, as seen in traditional practices like feng shui, where digging and placement of objects can influence energy flows. The act of digging in ancient times was also crucial for agriculture, which has shaped societal development.

Memory Tip

Imagine a joyful archaeologist (sounds like 'jué') digging in the earth to uncover hidden treasures. The character 掘 has the hand radical (扌), symbolizing the action of digging, and the 'mouth' component (口) indicating that what is uncovered may be valuable or worth talking about.

Meanings of 掘

jué(jue2)
1to dig
2to dig, to excavate
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 掘

掘Simplified
11Strokes
扌Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#8780Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7

Podcast: 掘

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Podcast: 掘

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AI Study Notes for 掘

Quick Contrast

挖 (wā) - use 掘 (jué) when emphasizing deeper excavation or exploration, while 挖 (wā) often refers to digging in a more general or surface-level sense.

Usage Notes

Be mindful of the tone when pronouncing 掘 (jué), as using the wrong tone could change the meaning. It is more commonly used in formal contexts, such as academic discussions about excavation, rather than casual conversations. Common collocations include '掘土' (digging soil) and '掘井' (digging a well).

HSK Study Tips

This character is not included in the standard HSK levels but can be useful for learners progressing towards HSK 5 and beyond. Focus on understanding its usage in compound words and phrases related to construction or archaeology, as this will help reinforce vocabulary connections.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 掘 (jué) with 切 (qiē), which means 'to cut.' For example, saying '我想切土' (I want to cut the soil) instead of '我想掘土' (I want to dig the soil) is incorrect. Always use 掘 for actions involving digging.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 掘

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Etymology of 掘

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

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 屈 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

hand

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 掘

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 屈 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half扌 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half屈 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhand
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 掘? 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 掘?

Decomposition of 掘

IDS Structure⿰扌屈
掘Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
屈Qu1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 掘?

How to say to dig in Chinese

“to dig” in Chinese is掘jué

The character 掘 (jué) means 'to dig' or 'to excavate.' It is commonly used in contexts related to digging into the ground, such as construction, mining, or gardening. The nuance of this term often conveys a sense of deeper digging or exploration, rather than just surface-level activity.

When to use 掘

Be mindful of the tone when pronouncing 掘 (jué), as using the wrong tone could change the meaning. It is more commonly used in formal contexts, such as academic discussions about excavation, rather than casual conversations. Common collocations include '掘土' (digging soil) and '掘井' (digging a well).

掘 or something close to it

挖 (wā) - use 掘 (jué) when emphasizing deeper excavation or exploration, while 挖 (wā) often refers to digging in a more general or surface-level sense.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 掘 (jué) with 切 (qiē), which means 'to cut.' For example, saying '我想切土' (I want to cut the soil) instead of '我想掘土' (I want to dig the soil) is incorrect. Always use 掘 for actions involving digging.

Write 掘

掘

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

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Grammar Patterns of 掘

掘 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 4

Complete the Sentence

考古学家在发____之初就知道他们将有重大发现。

Archaeologists knew they were onto something big when they started digging.

Example Sentences for 掘 (16)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
考古学家在发掘之初就知道他们将有重大发现。

kǎo gǔ xué jiā zài fā jué zhī chū jiù zhī dào tā mén jiāng yǒu zhòng dà fā xiàn。

Archaeologists knew they were onto something big when they started digging.
2
挖掘工作已显示在该地区有罗马和盎格鲁-撒克逊时代的遗迹。

wā jué gōng zuò yǐ xiǎn shì zài gāi dì qū yǒu luó mǎ hé àng gé lǔ- - sā kè xùn shí dài de yí。

Ex-cavations have revealed Roman and Anglo-Saxon remains in the area.
3
在那个地点又挖掘出几具尸体。

zài nà gè dì diǎn yòu wā jué chū jī jù shī tǐ。

More bodies have been dug up at the site.
4
北部又挖掘出了更多的人体遗骸。

běi bù yòu wā jué chū le gēng duō de rén tǐ yí hái。

More human remains have been unearthed in the north.
5
该营直接开到机场掘壕防守。

gāi yíng zhí jiē kāi dào jī cháng jué háo fáng shǒu。

The battalion went directly to the airport to begin digging in.
6
东挖西掘后留下了一片废弃的矿坑。

dōng wā xī jué hòu liú xià le yī piàn fèi qì de kuàng kēng。

All that digging had left a network of abandoned mines and tunnels.
7
救援人员正在废墟中挖掘，以搜寻其他受害者。

jiù yuán rén yuán zhèng zài fèi xū zhōng wā jué， ， yǐ sōu xún qí tā shòu hài。

Rescue workers are digging through the rubble in search of other victims.
8
他们试着在洞穴正下方的一块地上挖掘。

tā mén shì zháo zài dòng xué zhèng xià fāng de yī kuài dì shàng wā jué。

They tried digging in a patch just below the cave.
9
树干的浓阴里那个人把交叉的双腿放开,用脚趾掘着泥土.

shù gān de nóng yīn lǐ nà gè rén bǎ jiāo chā de shuāng tuǐ fàng kāi, , yòng jiǎo zhǐ jué zháo ní.

The man in the absolute shade uncrossed his legs and dug with toes at the earth.
10
这些刚发掘出来的物品需要及时保护。

zhè xiē gāng fā jué chū lái de wù pǐn xū yào jí shí bǎo hù。

In time these new excavations will require conservation.
11
科学家们正在山洞中掘出古生物化石。

Kēxuéjiāmen zhèngzài shāndòng zhōng jué chū gǔshēngwù huàshí.

Scientists are digging out fossils of ancient organisms in the cave.
12
为了研究地下水的流动，工程师们开始在这个区域掘井。

Wèile yánjiū dìxiàshuǐ de liúdòng, gōngchéngshīmen kāishǐ zài zhège qūyù jué jǐng.

To study the flow of groundwater, engineers have started to dig wells in this area.
13
工人在建筑工地上掘地，以便安装新的管道。

Gōngrén zài jiànzhù gōngdì shàng jué dì, yǐbiàn ānzhuāng xīn de guǎndào.

Workers are digging at the construction site to install new pipes.
14
为了找到珍贵的矿石，他们决定在山谷中掘更深的隧道。

Wèile zhǎodào zhēnguì de kuàngshí, tāmen juédìng zài shāngǔ zhōng jué gèng shēn de suìdào.

In order to find precious ores, they decided to dig deeper tunnels in the valley.
15
农民们在田地里掘沟渠，以便更好地灌溉庄稼。

Nóngmínmen zài tiándì lǐ jué gōuqú, yǐbiàn gèng hǎo de guàngài zhuāngjià.

Farmers are digging ditches in the fields to better irrigate the crops.
16
在沙漠中掘井是一个艰巨的任务，但对于获取水源至关重要。

Zài shāmò zhōng jué jǐng shì yīgè jiānjù de rènwù, dàn duìyú huòqǔ shuǐyuán zhì guān zhòngyào.

Digging a well in the desert is a challenging task, but crucial for obtaining water.

Word Family of 掘

Words Containing This Character11
挖掘wājuéto dig
发掘fājuéto excavate發掘
掘juéto dig
自掘坟墓to dig one's own grave自掘墳墓
挖掘机excavator挖掘機
采掘to excavate採掘
开掘to excavate開掘
掘土机excavator掘土機
临渴掘井lit. not to dig a well until one is thirsty臨渴掘井
掘墓鞭尸to exhume a body for public flogging (idiom)掘墓鞭屍
罗雀掘鼠on the verge of bankruptcy羅雀掘鼠
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 挖掘 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 掘

It is pronounced as jué, with a rising tone.

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