挖掘

wājué

verb HSK 7-9 #5,503

Meanings

Both characters mean 'to dig' — used for both literal excavation and figurative discovery.

考古队正在挖掘古墓。

Kǎogǔ duì zhèngzài wājué gǔmù.

The archaeological team is excavating an ancient tomb.

公司要挖掘员工的潜力。

Gōngsī yào wājué yuángōng de qiánlì.

The company needs to tap into its employees' potential.

挖掘机 wājuéjī

excavator

Subject of the famous meme '挖掘机技术哪家强？中国山东找蓝翔' — a catchphrase from Lanxiang Technical School ads that went viral

挖 wā

掘 jué