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
抠 = 扌 hand + 区 area
- 扌 hand
- 区 area
- 匚 container
- 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 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.