🇬🇧🇨🇳 manhole - 沙井 : English Lesson

Meaning of "manhole" ("沙井"), detailed definition, and a short video lesson below.

A manhole is a special hole in the ground, usually in a street or sidewalk, that is covered with a heavy metal lid. Workers lift the lid and climb down through the manhole to reach tunnels underground where pipes, cables, and drains are. They use it like a secret door to go below the city and fix things like water, electricity, or sewers.

Watch and listen to this English flashcard to understand the word in more detail, with an easy example sentence.

Our teacher said never to play on a manhole, so of course my brain immediately wanted to tap-dance on all of them.

The worker disappeared into the manhole so fast I was sure he had a teleportation tunnel under there.

The manhole in our street is like a ground-level mystery door that only people in orange vests are allowed to open.

I thought I heard a monster growling from the manhole, but it was just water rushing through the pipes.

Manholes are usually round so the heavy cover can’t fall through the opening, which sadly ruins my dream of perfectly square secret street doors.

At dusk a child watched a worker lift a manhole cover. Rain dripped as the worker climbed into the manhole with a lamp. Inside the manhole he found a broken pipe, fixed it, and called up for help. He climbed out, replaced the manhole cover, closed the manhole, and the child cheered.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.