掏空 (tāo kōng) — to hollow out (by digging or scooping); to drain, to use up completely (resources, energy, money, etc.)

Definition

Literally 'dig empty': the literal sense is to hollow out a physical object; the common figurative sense is to drain someone's money, energy, or other resources completely. Often used in 把-constructions.

verb
to hollow out (by digging or scooping)to drainto use up completely (resources, energy, money, etc.)

Examples

  • 掏空。
    Tā men bǎ nà kē dà shù cóng gēn bù tāo kōng le.
    They hollowed out that big tree from the roots.
  • 掏空。
    Duō nián de jīng yíng yǐ jīng tāo kōng le tā de jī xù.
    Years of running the business have drained his savings.
  • 掏空。
    Lián xù sān gè tōng xiāo jiā bān tāo kōng le tā suǒ yǒu de jīng lì.
    Three all‑night shifts in a row exhausted all his energy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

掏tāoscoop or dig out
空kōngempty or hollow

掏 means scoop or dig out and 空 means empty or hollow, giving the result of making something empty.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
匋
匋táo掏tāo
Same sound today

掏 pairs 扌, the hand side, with 匋, which gives the sound. The hand part shows the action is done with the hand.

Open 掏 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
穴穴xuécave, hole
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng空kōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

Open 空 →

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