How to Write 穵 (wā) — Meaning “To dig”

Imagine a person inside a cave (穴) using a curved shovel (the bottom part) to dig the ground. The shape of 穵 looks like a cave with a hook-like tool beneath it. This visual of digging inside a cave helps link the form to its meaning "to dig."

Write the top radical 穴 first: dot, dot, hook (or stroke), then the two lower strokes inside. The bottom part is a single sweeping horizontal stroke ending with a hook upward. Common mistakes include making the bottom hook too short or forgetting the two inner strokes of 穴.

穵 (wā, to dig) has a curved bottom stroke, while 穴 (xué, cave) is just the cave radical without any lower part. 究 (jiū, to study) has a 穴 top with 九 below, using different strokes and meaning. Visually, 穵's bottom hook distinguishes it from both.

穵 is a less common character, mainly used in classical or technical contexts like '穵洞' (dig a hole) or '穵土' (dig soil). It appears in older texts or regional expressions. For everyday 'digging,' modern Chinese prefers the character 挖 (wā).

Common words containing 穵 include: 穵洞 (wā dòng) — To dig a hole; 穵土 (wā tǔ) — To dig soil; 穵坑 (wā kēng) — To dig a pit.