采矿

• Pinyin: cǎi kuàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 采 = to pick/extract; 矿 = 石 (stone) + 广 variant, meaning mine or ore

Meaning

Mining; to mine. The extraction of minerals or other geological materials from the earth.

Covers all types of mining operations — coal, metals, gems, etc. Used in industrial, environmental, and economic contexts. Often discussed alongside environmental impact and regulations.

Examples

1. 这个地区的采矿业曾经非常发达。 The mining industry in this region was once very developed.
2. 非法采矿活动严重破坏了当地的生态环境。 Illegal mining activities have severely damaged the local ecosystem.
3. 现代采矿技术大大提高了开采效率和安全性。 Modern mining technology has greatly improved extraction efficiency and safety.

Usage Guide

Context: industry, environment, economics

Tone: technical

Do Say

• 采矿需要获得许可证。(Mining requires obtaining a license.)
• 采矿业是这个省的支柱产业。(Mining is a pillar industry of this province.)

Don't Say

• 我在游戏里采矿。(While technically possible, in everyday speech this sounds overly formal — gamers just say 挖矿)

Origin & History

采 (to extract, gather) + 矿 (mine, ore). A verb-object compound meaning to extract minerals.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Professional/Technical