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决斗 (jué dòu) — to duel; to engage in a decisive struggle or battle

Definition

A formal/elevated verb for a one-on-one duel or decisive fight (often with swords), or by extension a fierce head-to-head contest between two rivals. Unlike everyday fighting words like 打, it implies a ritualized or decisive confrontation.

verb
to duelto engage in a decisive struggle or battle

Examples

  • 决斗。
    Tā men jué dìng yòng jiàn jué dòu.
    They decided to duel with swords.
  • 决斗。
    Liǎng jiā gōng sī zài shì chǎng shàng jué dòu.
    The two companies are dueling in the market.
  • 决斗。
    Tā men wèi guàn jūn jué dòu.
    They duel for the championship.

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.

决juédecisive
斗dòufight

决 as decisive and 斗 as fighting form a duel.

Characters in this word

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 決; 决 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
夬
夬guài決jué
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 決 has 氵 (water) and 夬, which gives the sound. This describes 決, not the simplified 决.

Open 决 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 斗 originally showed a ladle-shaped dipper or cup used to measure grain, held in a hand.

Open 斗 →
Appears in
Conflict & Agreement

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