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好斗 (hào dòu) — bellicose, warlike, aggressive

Definition

好斗 (hào dòu) describes a person or animal that is naturally combative and quick to fight or argue. Built from 好 ('fond of') + 斗 ('fight'), it modifies a temperament rather than a single act.

adjective
bellicosewarlikeaggressive

Examples

  • 好斗，。
    Tā xìng gé hào dòu, jīng cháng gēn rén chǎo jià.
    He has a warlike personality and often quarrels with people.
  • ，好斗。
    Zhè zhǒng gǒu suī rán tǐ xíng xiǎo, dàn shì fēi cháng hào dòu.
    Although this breed of dog is small in size, it is very aggressive.
  • 好斗。
    Nà ge guó jiā zài guó jì shì wù zhōng biǎo xiàn dé hěn hào dòu.
    That country behaves very belligerently in international affairs.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

好hǎofond
斗dòufight

“好” means fond of, and “斗” is fight, so the word describes a warlike temperament.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

好 joins 女 (woman) and 子 (child), understood as a woman with a child, linked to goodness or affection.

Open 好 →

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
Personality & Traits

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