TongTong
Sign in

斗牛 (dòu niú) — (verb-object) to fight a bull; (noun) bullfighting; (noun, astronomy) the constellations Dipper and Ox (斗宿 and 牛宿)

Definition

斗牛 is a verb-object compound: the verb 斗 ('fight/compete') plus 牛 ('bull'), giving both the action 'to fight a bull' and the noun 'bullfighting'. In astronomy it names two old Chinese constellations: 斗 (the Dipper) and 牛 (the Ox).

verb
(verb-object) to fight a bull(noun, astronomy) the constellations Dipper and Ox (斗宿 and 牛宿)
noun
bullfighting

Examples

  • 。
    Tā qù nián zài xī bān yá dòu guò yí cì niú.
    He fought a bull once in Spain last year.
  • 。
    Dòu niú shì yí xiàng fēi cháng wēi xiǎn de biǎo yǎn.
    Bullfighting is a very dangerous performance.
  • 。
    Gǔ rén bǎ dòu niú kàn zuò zhòng yào de xīng xiù.
    Ancient people regarded the Dipper and Ox as important constellations.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

斗dòufight
牛niúbull

“斗” (fight) and “牛” (bull) together mean fighting a bull, used for bullfighting.

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 →

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

牛 is drawn as a bull's head, with two horns and two ears.

Open 牛 →
Appears in
Sky & SpaceSports & Athletics

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.