Chinese word

斗

Pronunciation

Pinyindòu

Meaning

  • verbfight

Example

他们又因为钱斗起来了。tā men yòu yīn wèi qián dòu qǐ lái le

They started fighting again over money.

Illustration for 斗 (fight)

More examples

工会与公司为待遇问题斗争多年。gōng huì yǔ gōng sī wèi dài yù wèn tí dòu zhēng duō nián

The union and the company have struggled over benefits for years.

Core concept

Opposing sides meet in a forceful contest that can turn physical or remain a test of ability.

Common phrases

  • 斗争dòu zhēng

    struggle

  • 打斗dǎ dòu

    fight

  • 争斗zhēng dòu

    contend

Similar words

斗争dòu zhēng: Struggling fiercely and continuously over different interests or positions.
打斗dǎ dòu: Using punches and kicks to fight physically.
打架dǎ jià: Fighting another person when an argument develops into hitting.
战斗zhàn dòu: Taking part in a battle against an enemy using weapons or force.

Definition in Chinese

表示与别人发生争执、打斗或较量的动作，作动词用，口语中常与“起来”“上”连用表示冲突开始。biǎo shì yǔ bié rén fā shēng zhēng zhí dǎ dòu huò jiào liàng de dòng zuò zuò dòng cí yòng kóu yǔ zhōng cháng yǔ qǐ lái shàng lián yòng biǎo shì chōng tū kāi shǐ

Word origin

The fighting sense of 斗 (dòu, "fight") is written with the simplified form of 鬥 (dòu, "fight"), an older character depicting combatants facing one another.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, this verb often marks the moment when a disagreement turns into active confrontation rather than merely describing a settled difference of opinion.

Other meanings

  • competeverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word