How to Write 挖 (wā) — Meaning “dig”

Imagine a hand (扌) reaching into a hole shaped like the right side 穵 to scoop out dirt. The right part looks like a person bending down with arms extended, making it easy to recall the action of digging.

Write the 扌 radical first (horizontal, vertical hook, lift), then the right side 穵 with a top dot, horizontal line, left-falling stroke, vertical, then horizontal fold and final horizontal. A common mistake is adding an extra dot like in 穴; remember only one dot at the top.

挖 means "dig" and has a dot and angled strokes on the right side. 扭 (niǔ) means "twist" and has the right side 丑 (ugly), which looks different. 㧜 is extremely rare and not used in modern Chinese, so you will almost never encounter it.

挖 is used for physical digging, such as 挖土 (dig soil) or 挖洞 (dig a cave). It also appears in the idiom 挖空心思 (wā kōng xīn sī), meaning to rack one's brains, which vividly compares intense thinking to digging into one's mind.

Common words containing 挖 include: 挖土 (wā tǔ) — dig soil; 挖洞 (wā dòng) — dig a cave; 挖坑 (wā kēng) — dig a hole.