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打斗 (dǎ dòu) — to fight, to struggle (physically)

Definition

Refers to a physical fight or brawl, usually between people (verb can take 起来, as in 打斗起来 'to start fighting'). It focuses on the action of fighting itself, rather than a war (战争) or an organized sport.

verb
to fightto struggle (physically)

Examples

  • 打斗。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng de dǎ dòu chǎng miàn fēi cháng jīng cǎi.
    The fight scenes in this movie are very exciting.
  • 打斗。
    Liǎng gè rén yīn wèi xiǎo shì dǎ dòu qǐ lái.
    The two people started fighting over a small matter.
  • 打斗。
    Tā men zài jiē tóu jī liè dì dǎ dòu.
    They were fighting fiercely on the street.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

打dǎstrike
斗dòufight

打 'strike' and 斗 'fight' are parallel actions describing a physical struggle.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng打dǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

打 uses 扌, a hand, to show an action done with the hand, and 丁 to give the sound.

Open 打 →

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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