抠 kōu to lift
to lift; to raise; to dig; to pick; stingy
How to remember 抠: 扌 hand + 区 area = to lift. The strong mechanic slides one hand under the bumper in the parking area and tries to lift the tiny car by himself.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
抠 = 扌 hand + 区 area
- 扌 hand meaning
- 区 area sound
- 匚 side box
- 㐅 cross mark
The strong mechanic slides one hand under the bumper in the parking area and tries to lift the tiny car by himself.
How it came to be
The hand gives the meaning and the sign for area gives the sound.
How it is used
- To dig/pick out with a finger: 抠鼻子 (kōu bízi) pick one's nose, 抠出来 (kōu chūlái) to dig out.
- Figurative: 抠字眼 (kōu zìyǎn) to nitpick over wording, 抠细节 (kōu xìjié) obsess over details.
- Colloquial 抠门 (kōumén) = stingy/penny-pinching.