互殴 (hù ōu) — to exchange blows, to fight each other

Definition

互殴 (hù ōu) is a formal/written verb meaning 'to exchange blows' — used in news and legal contexts, more official than the everyday 打架. Implies both sides are actively fighting each other.

verb
to exchange blowsto fight each other

Examples

  • 互殴，。
    Tā men liǎ zài jiē shàng hù ōu qǐ lái, lù rén gǎn jǐn bào jǐng.
    They started fighting each other on the street, and passersby quickly called the police.
  • 互殴。
    Tā yīn wèi hù ōu bèi jǐng fāng jū liú le sān tiān.
    He was detained by the police for three days for fighting.
  • ，互殴。
    Shuāng fāng zài qiú chǎng shàng dǎ le qǐ lái, hù ōu dé hěn jī liè.
    Both sides started fighting on the court, exchanging blows fiercely.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

互hùmutual
殴ōuhit

互 contributes the idea of mutual action to 殴, producing the sense of striking each other.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The form 互 is a tooth shape with a distinguishing mark added.

Open 互 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 毆; 殴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
殳殳shūaction
Sound part声符shēngfú
區
區qū毆ōu
Same sound today

The traditional form 毆 pairs 區 for the sound with 殳 to mark an action, to write beat; 殴 is a simplified shorthand.

Open 殴 →

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