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鬭 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鬭dòuto struggle, to fight; woodwork, carpentryx, 24 strokes, radical 鬥
dòu(dou4)dou T4
  1. 1to struggle, to fight; woodwork, carpentry
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March 24, 2026

鬭dòu(dou4)

The character 鬭 (dòu) primarily means to struggle or to fight. It can also refer to activities related to carpentry or woodwork, highlighting the physical effort involved in both fighting and crafting. This character is often used in contexts where competition or conflict is present, as well as in discussions about manual labor.

Strokes24Radical鬥
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of struggle or competition is often tied to the philosophy of hard work and perseverance, which is celebrated in various art forms, including martial arts and calligraphy. The character’s usage reflects a value placed on both physical and intellectual effort.

Memory tip

Imagine a fierce battle between two carpenters (木, representing wood) who are struggling (鬭) to create the best wooden sculpture. The character's components hint at both fighting (the aggressive nature of the character) and woodwork (the practical aspect), making it easier to remember.

Meanings of 鬭

dòu(dou4)
1to struggle, to fight; woodwork, carpentry
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 鬭

鬭Simplified
24Strokes
鬥Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鬭

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Podcast: 鬭

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AI Study Notes for 鬭

Usage Notes

Be mindful that 鬭 is not commonly used in everyday conversation; it can sound overly formal or literary. It’s often paired with other words related to competition or struggle. Also, ensure you pronounce it with the correct falling tone to avoid confusion with similar-sounding words.

HSK Study Tips

Although 鬭 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it shares thematic connections with words at HSK levels 3-5 that involve competition and conflict (e.g., 斗争, fighting). Students should focus on recognizing this character in literary contexts and understanding its nuanced meanings.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 鬭 with similar characters like 斗 (dòu), which means 'to fight' but is more commonly used. For example, saying '我喜欢鬭' (wǒ xǐhuān dòu) instead of '我喜欢斗' (wǒ xǐhuān dòu) can sound awkward or incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鬭

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Etymology of 鬭

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Pictograph of a cup or dipper. In simplified Chinese 斗 is also used to mean "fight, struggle", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character 鬥.

Memory hint

To fight 鬥 with an axe 斲; 鬥 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 鬭?

Decomposition of 鬭

IDS Structure⿵鬥斲
鬭Full character
=
鬥dou4
enclosing
斲zhuo2
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 鬭?

How to say to struggle, to fight; woodwork, carpentry in Chinese

“to struggle, to fight; woodwork, carpentry” in Chinese is鬭dòu

The character 鬭 (dòu) primarily means to struggle or to fight. It can also refer to activities related to carpentry or woodwork, highlighting the physical effort involved in both fighting and crafting. This character is often used in contexts where competition or conflict is present, as well as in discussions about manual labor.

When to use 鬭

Be mindful that 鬭 is not commonly used in everyday conversation; it can sound overly formal or literary. It’s often paired with other words related to competition or struggle. Also, ensure you pronounce it with the correct falling tone to avoid confusion with similar-sounding words.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 鬭 with similar characters like 斗 (dòu), which means 'to fight' but is more commonly used. For example, saying '我喜欢鬭' (wǒ xǐhuān dòu) instead of '我喜欢斗' (wǒ xǐhuān dòu) can sound awkward or incorrect.

Write 鬭

鬭

Practice writing 鬭 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 鬭

Words containing this character20
战斗zhàndòuto fight戰鬥
斗争dòuzhēngfight鬥爭
斗dòuto fight鬥
奋斗fèndòuto strive奮鬥
战斗机fighter (aircraft)戰鬥機
打斗to fight打鬥
决斗to duel決鬥
搏斗bódòuto wrestle搏鬥
格斗to wrestle格鬥
斗牛Big Dipper and Altair (astronomy)
争斗war爭鬥
斗士warrior鬥士
阶级斗争the class struggle階級鬥爭
斗志dòuzhìwill to fight鬥志
战斗力fighting strength戰鬥力
斗篷cloak
艰苦奋斗jiānkǔfèndòuto struggle arduously艱苦奮鬥
斗殴to fight鬥毆
烟斗(smoking) pipe煙斗
北斗Great Bear
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 鬭

What does 战斗 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鬭

No, it's more commonly found in literary contexts or discussions about competition and struggle.

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