Meaning of 奋斗
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to strive; to struggle
How to use 奋斗
奋斗 is used for long-term effort toward a goal, like a career, a dream, or a better life. It often appears with 为 (wèi), meaning "for". Example: 他为梦想奋斗了十年。(Tā wèi mèngxiǎng fèndòu le shí nián.) He strove for his dream for ten years.
奋 (fèn) means to exert yourself or rouse yourself, as in 兴奋 (xīngfèn) and 勤奋 (qínfèn). 斗 (dòu) means to fight, as in 战斗 (zhàndòu). Put them together and you get putting all your energy into a fight, which means to strive.
Common mistake: Learners often read 斗 as dǒu, the tone it has in 北斗 (Běidǒu, the Big Dipper). In 奋斗 it is fourth tone, dòu, so both syllables are fourth tone: fèndòu. Also, 奋斗 does not take a direct object. Say 为目标奋斗 (wèi mùbiāo fèndòu), not 奋斗目标 as a verb plus object.
奋斗 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
奋 fèn · to strive · 8 strokes
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斗 dòu · to fight · 4 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 奋斗.
| 战斗 | zhàndòu | to fight; to engage in combat |
| 兴奋 | xīngfèn | excited; excitement |
| 勤奋 | qínfèn | hardworking; diligent |
| 斗争 | dòuzhēng | a struggle; fight |
| 搏斗 | bódòu | to wrestle; to fight; to struggle |
| 斗志 | dòuzhì | will to fight; fighting spirit |
| 奋力 | fènlì | to do everything one can; to spare no effort |
| 兴奋剂 | xīngfènjì | stimulant; doping (in athletics) |
| 振奋 | zhènfèn | to stir oneself up; to raise one's spirits |
| 奋勇 | fènyǒng | dauntless; to summon up courage and determination |
| 泰斗 | tàidǒu | abbr. for 泰山北斗[Tai4 shan1 Bei3 dou3] |
| 艰苦奋斗 | jiānkǔ-fèndòu | to struggle arduously |
Questions about 奋斗
What does 奋斗 mean?
奋斗 (fèndòu) means "to strive; to struggle" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 奋斗?
奋斗 is made of 2 characters: 奋 (8 strokes), 斗 (4 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 奋斗 an HSK word?
Yes. 奋斗 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 奋斗 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 奋斗 is written 奮鬥.
What is the difference between 奋斗 and 努力?
努力 (nǔlì) is everyday "to work hard" and can describe any effort, even studying for one test. 奋斗 sounds bigger and more serious. It suggests a sustained struggle over a long time, often against difficulties.
Can 奋斗 be used as a noun?
Yes. It can mean "struggle" or "striving", as in 多年的奋斗 (duō nián de fèndòu), meaning many years of struggle. Its main dictionary use is still as a verb.