HSK · Level 98
45 words
Chinese word
发掘
Pronunciation
Pinyinfā jué
Meaning
- verbdig up
Example
我们在院子里发掘出旧玩具。wǒ men zài yuàn zi lǐ fā jué chū jiù wán jù
We dug up some old toys in the yard.
More examples
警方持续发掘案发现场的线索。jǐng fāng chí xù fā jué àn fā xiàn chǎng de xiàn suǒ
The police continue to unearth clues at the crime scene.
Core concept
Something hidden is brought into the open through digging or purposeful searching, whether it is a physical object, a clue, or a valuable quality.
Common phrases
发掘真相fā jué zhēn xiàng
uncover the truth
发掘线索fā jué xiàn suǒ
unearth clues
发掘历史价值fā jué lì shǐ jià zhí
uncover historical value
Similar words
挖掘wā jué: Dig into earth or accumulated material and take out what has been buried there.
发现fā xiàn: Learn a fact or find something that was not known before through careful attention.
搜索sōu suǒ: Search an area methodically while trying to locate a specific person or thing.
Definition in Chinese
用手或工具从地下或堆积物中挖出并取出埋藏的物品、遗迹或痕迹，也可引申为挖出隐藏的价值或线索。yòng shǒu huò gōng jù cóng dì xià huò duī jī wù zhōng wā chū bìng qǔ chū mái cáng de wù pǐn yí jì huò hén jì yě kě yǐn shēn wèi wā chū yǐn cáng de jià zhí huò xiàn suǒ
Word origin
发 (fā, "bring out") + 掘 (jué, "dig") links bringing something outward with digging, a natural formation for uncovering what has been hidden.
Usage tips
- In conversational Chinese, this verb usually highlights deliberate search or sustained effort, so it can describe uncovering an old story or bringing out a person's talent.
Other meanings
- discoververb
- digverb
Opposites
- 掩埋yǎn máiburyverb
Related words
- 发掘者fā jué zhěexcavatornoun