斗志昂扬 (dòu zhì áng yáng) — having high morale; full of fighting spirit; in high spirits

Definition

A set phrase describing people with strong fighting spirit and high morale, often before a challenge. 昂扬 here means "rising" or "uplifted," like a flag lifted high — a vivid, written register image.

idiom
having high moralefull of fighting spiritin high spirits

Examples

  • ，斗志昂扬，。
    Bǐ sài qián, duì yuán men gè gè dòu zhì áng yáng, xìn xīn shí zú.
    Before the match, every team member was full of fighting spirit and very confident.
  • ，斗志昂扬，。
    Jǐn guǎn kùn nan chóng chóng, dà jiā réng rán dòu zhì áng yáng, nǔ lì gōng zuò.
    Despite numerous difficulties, everyone still had high morale and worked hard.
  • 斗志昂扬，。
    Zhè zhī jūn duì dòu zhì áng yáng, shì bù kě dǎng.
    This army has high morale and is unstoppable.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

斗志fighting spirit
斗dòufight志zhìspirit
偏正Modifier + head
昂扬high-spirited
昂ánghigh扬yángraised
联合Side by side

"斗志" (fighting spirit) is described as "昂扬" (high and raised), so morale is high.

Characters in this word

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 →

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
心心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
之
之zhī志zhì
Same sound today

志 has 心, the heart, below and a simplified top from 之 for sound.

Open 志 →

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
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
卬
卬áng昂áng
Same sound today

昂 pairs 日 (sun) with 卬, a drawing of a standing man and a kneeling man that gives the sound.

Open 昂 →

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 揚; 扬 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng揚
Same sound today

The traditional form 揚 uses 手 to show a hand-related action and 昜 to give the sound; the simplified 扬 is a later abbreviation.

Open 扬 →

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