waat3挖
Jyutpingwaat3
Yalewaat
Definition
To dig, gouge, or scoop out.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
While 挖 and 掘 are often interchangeable for digging into the ground, 挖 carries a more specific sense of scooping or gouging out something from a hollow space. It is the preferred term for actions like picking one's nose or scooping out the inside of a fruit. When referring to large scale excavation or construction work, 掘 is significantly more common.
Examples
He dug a hole in the garden to plant flowers.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use 挖 for general construction or excavation work where 掘 is the standard verb. Using 挖 to describe digging a foundation for a building sounds unnatural and slightly comical.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
