掘 meaning and stroke order
To dig, to excavate
How to write 掘, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 掘
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to dig
How 掘 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 屈 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 掘
掘 is a hand 扌 next to 屈 (qū), which gives the sound. Picture your hand bending down low to dig into the ground.
掘 rarely stands alone in modern speech and mostly appears in words like 挖掘 (wājué) and 发掘 (fājué), which can mean digging up objects or uncovering hidden talent or information. Example: 他们发掘了一座古墓。(Tāmen fājué le yí zuò gǔ mù.) They excavated an ancient tomb.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 掘 with 倔 (jué, stubborn) and 崛 (jué, to rise abruptly), which share 屈 and the same sound. Only the hand radical 扌 means digging. Also, the phonetic 屈 is read qū, but 掘 is jué with a second tone.
Common words with 掘
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
掘 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 掘
How many strokes are in 掘?
掘 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 掘 mean?
掘 (jué) means to dig, to excavate. A common word with it is 挖掘 (wājué), meaning "to excavate; (lit and fig.) to unearth; to dig into".
How do you pronounce 掘?
掘 is pronounced jué, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 掘?
The radical of 掘 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 掘 under this radical.
Is 掘 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 掘 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 挖 and 掘?
挖 (wā) is the everyday word for dig, as in 挖洞 (wā dòng) to dig a hole. 掘 is more formal or literary and usually appears inside compounds like 挖掘.
Can 挖掘 be used figuratively?
Yes. 挖掘潜力 (wājué qiánlì) means to tap into potential, and 挖掘人才 means to discover talent. It describes bringing out something hidden.