採掘（さいくつ、saikutsu）
- mining

The Japanese word 採掘 採掘 means "mining" or "excavation." It refers to the process of extracting valuable minerals, resources, or other materials from the earth. This can involve digging, drilling, or blasting to retrieve these resources. The word implies a deliberate and systematic effort to remove something from the ground for use or sale.

⚫︎鉱物資源を採掘 Translation: Mining mineral resources. ⚫︎金鉱の採掘が行われる Translation: Gold mining is conducted. ⚫︎新しい炭鉱の採掘計画 Translation: A plan for the mining of a new coal mine.

You would use 採掘 採掘 when discussing activities related to mining, resource extraction, or excavation. It is suitable for formal and informal contexts. When speaking, it's usually used as a noun, but you can also use it with verbs like する (to do) to create phrases like 採掘する (to mine/to excavate).

⚫︎The word is written in kanji as 採掘. ⚫︎The reading is さいくつ in hiragana. ⚫︎The okurigana (hiragana attached to kanji) is fixed, with no variations.

⚫︎掘削 (くっさく) - excavation ⚫︎採鉱 (さいこう) - mining (less common, more technical) ⚫︎掘る (ほる) - to dig (more general)

There aren't direct antonyms in the same sense, but actions related to "burying" or "leaving in place" could be considered opposites in a conceptual way. For example: ⚫︎埋める (うめる) - to bury ⚫︎保存 (ほぞん) - preservation

その会社は新しい鉱山を採掘するために、多くの投資を行いました。 ・Translation: That company invested heavily in order to mine the new mine. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the action of a company investing in the process of mining.

古代エジプトでは、ファラオのために石材を採掘しました。 ・Translation: In ancient Egypt, they mined stone for the pharaohs. ・Explanation: This example explains the mining of stone, showing the context of its use in ancient times.

The kanji 採 means "to collect" or "to take" and 掘 means "to dig". Combining them creates the meaning of "to dig and collect," reflecting the core activity of mining.