p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Discord

挖

wā
verb HSK 6 #1,591

Meanings

  1. 1 to dig; to excavate
  2. 2 to scoop out; to gouge

Examples

工人们在挖地基。
Gōngrénmen zài wā dìjī.
The workers are digging the foundation.
小孩在沙滩上挖沙子。
Xiǎohái zài shātān shàng wā shāzi.
The kids are digging sand on the beach.
他被竞争对手挖走了。
Tā bèi jìngzhēng duìshǒu wā zǒu le.
He was headhunted away by a competitor.
别挖鼻子。
Bié wā bízi.
Don't pick your nose.

Tips

usage
挖 is versatile: 挖坑 (dig a hole), 挖土 (dig earth), 挖鼻子 (pick one's nose), 挖人 (headhunt/poach talent). The figurative sense of 'poaching talent' is very common in business Chinese.
memory
The hand radical 扌 + 穴 (hole/cave) compressed — using your hand to dig a hole.

Stroke Order

挖 wā