Meaning
The kanji 掘 (ほる / クツ) primarily means to dig, excavate, or explore. It captures the action of moving earth or material to create a hole or uncover something beneath the surface. This meaning also extends to more abstract concepts like 'digging deeper' into a topic or 'unearthing' information or past memories.
The visual structure of 掘 offers a clear insight into its core meaning. It is a phono-semantic compound, combining a semantic (meaning) component with a phonetic (sound) component. The left radical, 扌 (てへん - tehen), is the 'hand' radical, indicating an action performed with the hand. The right component, 屈 (クツ - kutsu), serves primarily as the phonetic element, giving the kanji its on'yomi reading of クツ. Interestingly, 屈 itself means 'to bend,' 'yield,' or 'stoop.' When combined, the 'hand' action and the 'bending/stooping' aspect strongly evoke the image of someone bending down and using their hands or tools to dig into the ground. It suggests the physical effort and posture involved in excavation.
This kanji has 11 strokes and is considered a Jōyō kanji, typically learned at the N2 level of the JLPT. While not assigned a specific elementary school grade, its complexity and common usage make it an essential character for intermediate Japanese learners.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The primary On'yomi reading for 掘 is クツ (KUTSU). This reading is derived from its Chinese origin and is predominantly found in technical or formal compound words, particularly those related to engineering, construction, or archaeology. While its Kun'yomi is widely used, the On'yomi of 掘 is relatively specific.
- 掘削 (kussaku) — excavation, digging, boring. This is a key and very common compound utilizing the On'yomi クツ. It refers to the systematic process of digging, often on a large scale for construction projects, tunnels, or mineral extraction. For example, tunnel construction often involves extensive 掘削作業 (くっさくさぎょう - excavation work).
- 試掘 (shikutsu) — test drilling, prospecting. This term combines 試 (し - try, test) with 掘 (クツ - dig) to mean exploratory digging or drilling to determine the presence of resources like oil or minerals. Geologists might perform 試掘 to assess a site's potential.
- 採掘 (saikutsu) — mining, extraction. Here, 採 (サイ - gather, take) combines with 掘 (クツ - dig) to refer specifically to the act of extracting minerals or resources from the earth through mining operations, such as 炭鉱を採掘する (tankō o saikutsu suru - to mine a coal mine).
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The Kun'yomi readings are fundamental to everyday Japanese, forming native verbs and words. The primary Kun'yomi for 掘 are ほる (horu) and ほり (hori).
- 掘る (horu) — to dig, to excavate, to drill, to unearth. This is the basic verb form and is widely used in various contexts, from digging a simple hole in the garden to more complex excavations. It signifies the direct action of digging. For instance, 犬が庭に穴を掘る (inu ga niwa ni ana o horu - a dog digs a hole in the garden).
- 掘り出す (horidasu) — to dig out, to unearth, to discover. This compound verb adds the meaning of 'out' (出す) to 'dig,' implying the action of digging something up and bringing it to the surface. This could be an object, a buried treasure, or a forgotten fact.
- 掘り起こす (horiokosu) — to dig up, to unearth, to revive. Similar to 掘り出す, this verb emphasizes 'raising up' (起こす) what has been dug. It is often used metaphorically for reviving old memories, uncovering a scandal, or bringing an issue to light.
- 穴掘り (anahori) — hole digging, a digger (person or tool). This noun combines 穴 (あな - hole) with 掘り (ほり - digging) to refer to the act of digging a hole or, colloquially, someone who digs. Children often enjoy 穴掘り at the beach.
Common Words & Compounds
Below, you'll find more common words and compounds using the kanji 掘, grouped by theme to aid understanding and memorization:
Action & Process of Digging
- 掘る (horu) — to dig, to excavate (e.g., 庭に穴を掘る - niwa ni ana o horu - to dig a hole in the garden).
- 掘り進める (horisusumeru) — to keep digging, to dig further (e.g., トンネルを掘り進める - tonneru o horisusumeru - to continue excavating a tunnel).
- 掘り下げる (horisageru) — to dig deeper, to explore into (e.g., 問題を掘り下げる - mondai o horisageru - to investigate a topic more deeply).
- 素掘り (subori) — simple excavation, digging without shoring (e.g., 素掘りの溝 - subori no mizo - a simple hand-dug trench).
Discovery & Unearthing
- 掘り出す (horidasu) — to dig out, to unearth, to find (e.g., 古代の遺物を掘り出す - kodai no ibutsu o horidasu - to unearth ancient artifacts).
- 掘り起こす (horiokosu) — to dig up, to unearth, to revive (e.g., 昔の記憶を掘り起こす - mukashi no kioku o horiokosu - to revive old memories).
- 発掘 (hakkutsu) — excavation (archaeological), discovery (e.g., 遺跡の発掘調査 - iseki no hakkutsu chōsa - the excavation survey of a historical site).
- 掘り出し物 (horidashimono) — a bargain, a good find (literally, 'a dug-out item', referring to something discovered that is valuable or inexpensive).
Industry & Construction
- 掘削 (kussaku) — excavation, digging (e.g., 地下鉄の掘削工事 - chikatetsu no kussaku kōji - subway excavation work).
- 採掘 (saikutsu) — mining, extraction (e.g., 石炭の採掘 - sekitan no saikutsu - coal mining).
- 試掘 (shikutsu) — test drilling, prospecting (e.g., 石油の試掘 - sekiyu no shikutsu - exploratory oil drilling).
- 炭掘り (sumihori) — coal mining, a coal miner (a less common term, but specific to coal extraction).
Example Sentences
庭に花を植えるために穴を掘りました。
Niwa ni hana o ueru tame ni ana o horimashita.
I dug a hole in the garden to plant flowers.
砂浜で子供達が宝物を掘っていた。
Sunahama de kodomotachi ga takaramono o hotte ita.
The children were digging for treasure on the beach.
この古い土地から縄文時代の土器が掘り出されました。
Kono furui tochi kara Jōmon jidai no doki ga horidasaremashita.
Jōmon period pottery was unearthed from this ancient land.
その事件についてさらに深く掘り下げる必要がある。
Sono jiken ni tsuite sara ni fukaku horisageru hitsuyō ga aru.
It is necessary to explore deeper into that incident.
トンネルの掘削工事は順調に進んでいる。
Tonneru no kussaku kōji wa juncho ni susunde iru.
The tunnel excavation work is progressing smoothly.
みんなで協力して井戸を掘ることにした。
Minna de kyōryoku shite ido o horu koto ni shita.
Everyone decided to cooperate and dig a well.
これは先日のフリーマーケットで見つけた掘り出し物です。
Kore wa senjitsu no furīmāketto de mitsuketa horidashimono desu.
This is a bargain I found at the flea market the other day.
昔のアルバムを掘り起こして、懐しい思い出に浸った。
Mukashi no arubamu o horiokoshite, natsukashii omoide ni hitatta.
I dug out old albums and soaked in nostalgic memories.
Memory Tip
To remember the kanji 掘, envision it as a combination of a 'hand' and 'bending.' The left radical, 扌 (てへん - tehen), clearly represents a hand. The right component, 屈, sounds like 'kutsu' and also visually suggests bending or stooping. Imagine someone using their hands, perhaps with a shovel, and bending their body to effectively dig into the earth. The 'hand' represents the tool or agent, while 'bending' describes the posture or action of getting low to the ground to dig. So, 'a HAND BENDS to DIG.' This simple story directly connects the components to the kanji's core meaning, aiding memorization.