掘 (jué) — to dig; to excavate
Definition
verb
to digto excavate
Easily confused
- 倔juèlook-alikegruff, surly (in speech or manner)
- 绝juésound-alike(verb) to cut off; to vanish; to become extinct
- 堀kūlook-alike(classifier, archaic) for caves and holes
- 决juésound-aliketo decide, to determine (bound form; used in 决定, 决心, etc.)
- 爵juésound-alike(bound form) ancient bronze wine vessel with three legs and a loop handle, used in rituals
- 攫juésound-aliketo seize, to grasp (literary, used in compounds)
Examples
- 掘。Gōng rén zài yuàn zi jué le yí gè kēng.The workers dug a pit in the yard.
- 掘。Kǎo gǔ xué jiā cóng dì xià jué chū le hěn duō wén wù.The archaeologists dug out many artifacts from underground.
- ，掘。Tā wèi le zhǎo shuǐ yuán, zài shān shàng jué le yí gè dòng.He dug a hole on the mountain to look for a water source.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
掘 uses 扌 to show an action done with the hand, and 屈 to give the sound.
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