挖掘

wājué

verb HSK 7-9 #5,503

Meanings

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

HSK 6

考古队正在挖掘古墓。

Kǎogǔ duì zhèngzài wājué gǔmù.

The archaeological team is excavating an ancient tomb.

HSK 6

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