Translation guide
The English phrase "dig up" has several distinct meanings. This guide covers the most common uses for learners: physically excavating something from the ground, discovering information through investigation, and the informal sense of finding or obtaining something. It also touches on related agricultural and metaphorical uses.
To remove something from the ground by digging, such as soil, plants, or buried objects.
Literally 'dig out'. Used for unearthing objects like treasure, potatoes, or fossils.
They dug up an old pot from the garden.
Means 'dig up and raise'. Often used for uprooting plants, stumps, or turning over soil.
The farmer dug up the field and harvested potatoes.
General verb 'to dig'. Can mean 'dig up' when context implies extraction, but often needs a compound verb or object to clarify.
By itself, 掘る simply means 'dig'. To explicitly mean 'dig up', use 掘り出す or 掘り起こす.
The dog dug a hole in the yard and buried a bone.
To discover facts, secrets, or evidence through investigation or research.
Means 'to expose' or 'to disclose'. Used for revealing hidden truths, scandals, or secrets.
The journalist dug up corruption by the politician.
Means 'to find out' or 'to ferret out'. Emphasizes the investigative process.
Metaphorical extension of 'dig up'. Used for unearthing old records, memories, or forgotten facts.
To find, get, or produce something, often with effort or from an unlikely source. Informal usage.
Means 'to find out' or 'to track down'. Suitable for finding people, things, or information after searching.
He dug up an old motorcycle from somewhere.
Literally 'pull out'. Used for bringing out something stored away or forgotten, like old clothes or memories.
To break up and turn over soil, often for planting or preparation.
Means 'to till' or 'to cultivate'. The standard term for digging up soil in farming or gardening.
In spring, we dig up the field and plant vegetables.
Means 'to dig up and turn over' or 'to re-dig'. Often used for turning soil or digging up an area that was previously dug.
Both mean 'dig up', but 掘り出す focuses on extracting an object from the ground (e.g., treasure, potatoes), while 掘り起こす emphasizes the action of digging and raising something, often used for uprooting plants or turning soil. 掘り起こす can also be used metaphorically for unearthing information.
Avoid directly translating 'dig up' as 掘る in all contexts. For discovering information, use 暴く or 探り出す. For finding something casually, 見つけ出す or 引っ張り出す are more natural.
I need to dig up some information about that company.
They dug up the road to repair the pipes.
探偵は事件の真相を探り出した。
The detective dug up the truth about the case.
The historian dug up old documents and discovered new facts.
I dug up an old photo album from the closet.
Means 'to scrape together' or 'to gather up'. Used when collecting money, people, or resources with difficulty.
He managed to dig up some funds and started a business.
I dug up the garden soil and made a flower bed.