捞 lāo to dredge up
to dredge up; to fish for; to scoop out of the water
How to remember 捞: 扌 hand + 劳 to labor = to dredge up. His hand deep in the cold pond, the dad has to labor for an hour before he manages to dredge up his son's phone.
Component breakdown
捞 = 扌 hand + 劳 to labor
- 扌 hand
- 劳 to labor
His hand deep in the cold pond, the dad has to labor for an hour before he manages to dredge up his son's phone.
How it is used
- To scoop/fish out of water: 打捞 (dǎlāo) to salvage/dredge up, 从水里捞出来 (cóng shuǐ lǐ lāo chūlái) fish it out of the water, 捞面 (lāomiàn) noodles lifted from the pot.
- Figurative 'to grab (illicit) gain': 捞钱 (lāo qián) to rake in money, 捞好处 (lāo hǎochù) to grab benefits, 捞一把 (lāo yì bǎ) to make a quick profit - usually with a shady tone.
- 大海捞针 (dàhǎi-lāozhēn) = to look for a needle in a haystack.