| roots | pinyin, English |
| 穴洼 | xúe-xùe cave, wä pool |
| hollow | L1, AH, RP, LY, AL, DH, EC, AW |
| hollowed out | RH |
| hollowed out like a melon | WW |
| empty | FE, LG, WO, PC, CM, PI, JS, JL, WC |
| keep empty | W1 |
| concave | C1 |
| sunken | VM |
| low | DL, DC |
| flat | GR |
RH and AH have 'wä 洼' for 'wä 窪'. The alternative lacks the 'xue [cave]' root, the other being 'wa [hollow]', the distinction unclear.
With enough alternatives to 'empty' and 'low' ('xia'), 'hollow' is a better choice. 'concave' sounds bizarre, but with the root 'xue' (cave), I actually admire this choice.