鬥 meaning and stroke order
To struggle, to fight, to contend; measuring cup
How to write 鬥, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Meaning of 鬥
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to fight
- to struggle
- to condemn
- to censure
- to contend
- to put together
How 鬥 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Two people 丨 boxing 王.
How to remember 鬥
The etymology hint pictures two people 丨 boxing 王. See the two 王 shapes as two fighters squaring off, with the vertical strokes 丨 and 亅 on each side like the edges of the ring. Two figures facing each other in a ring means to fight, 鬥 (dòu).
鬥 is the traditional form of the 'fight' sense of 斗, so you see it in words like 戰鬥 (zhàndòu) and 奮鬥 (fèndòu) in Taiwan and Hong Kong texts. Mainland simplified Chinese writes all of these with 斗. Example: 他為了夢想努力奮鬥。(Tā wèile mèngxiǎng nǔlì fèndòu.) He struggles hard for his dream.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 鬥 with 門 (mén, door), because both have a frame with vertical sides. 門 has two 日-like panels, while 鬥 has two 王 shapes inside. Also note that 斗 meaning 'a measuring cup' is read dǒu (third tone), but 'to fight' is dòu (fourth tone).
Common words with 鬥
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 戰鬥 | zhàndòu | to fight; to engage in combat | HSK 4 |
| 奮鬥 | fèndòu | to strive; to struggle | HSK 4 |
| 鬥爭 | dòuzhēng | a struggle; fight | HSK 6 |
| 搏鬥 | bódòu | to wrestle; to fight; to struggle | HSK 7-9 |
| 鬥志 | dòuzhì | will to fight; fighting spirit | HSK 7-9 |
| 艱苦奮鬥 | jiānkǔ-fèndòu | to struggle arduously | HSK 7-9 |
| 決鬥 | juédòu | to duel; a duel | |
| 戰鬥機 | zhàndòujī | fighter (aircraft) | |
| 打鬥 | dǎdòu | to fight | |
| 格鬥 | gédòu | to wrestle | |
| 爭鬥 | zhēngdòu | to struggle; to fight | |
| 鬥士 | dòushì | warrior; activist | |
| 角鬥士 | jiǎodòushì | gladiator | |
| 鬥毆 | dòu'ōu | to brawl; to scuffle |
Characters that contain 鬥
Learning 鬥 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 鬥
How many strokes are in 鬥?
鬥 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 鬥 mean?
鬥 (dòu) means to struggle, to fight, to contend; measuring cup. A common word with it is 战斗 (zhàndòu), meaning "to fight; to engage in combat".
How do you pronounce 鬥?
鬥 is pronounced dòu, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the simplified form of 鬥?
鬥 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 斗, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why does 鬥 appear as 斗 in simplified Chinese?
Simplified Chinese merged 鬥 (dòu, to fight) into the existing character 斗, which also means a measuring cup. So 战斗 and 奋斗 use 斗, while traditional texts write 戰鬥 and 奮鬥.
Can 鬥 be used for animal fights or games?
Yes. It appears in words like 鬥雞 (dòujī, cockfighting) and in 鬥嘴 (dòuzuǐ, to bicker). It covers physical fights, verbal sparring, and competitive contests.