Meaning of 战斗
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to fight
- to engage in combat
- struggle
- battle
Measure word: 場|场,次
How to use 战斗
战斗 works as a verb for fighting in combat and as a noun for a single battle or fight. It can also describe a hard struggle against something like a disease or a deadline. Example: 战斗已经结束了。 (Zhàndòu yǐjīng jiéshù le.) The battle is already over.
战 (zhàn) contains 戈, a dagger-axe weapon, so think of soldiers in battle. 斗 (dòu) means to fight or struggle, so two fighting characters together give you combat.
Common mistake: Learners often use 战斗 where 战争 (zhànzhēng) belongs. 战争 is a whole war between countries, while 战斗 is a specific fight or battle within it. Also, 斗 here is fourth tone dòu, not third tone dǒu as in 北斗 (běidǒu).
战斗 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.
战 zhàn · war · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
斗 dòu · to fight · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 战斗.
| 战争 | zhànzhēng | war; conflict |
| 挑战 | tiǎozhàn | to challenge; to take on a challenge; a challenge |
| 战士 | zhànshì | fighter; soldier |
| 战胜 | zhànshèng | to prevail over; to defeat |
| 奋斗 | fèndòu | to strive; to struggle |
| 作战 | zuòzhàn | combat; to fight |
| 战场 | zhànchǎng | battlefield |
| 斗争 | dòuzhēng | a struggle; fight |
| 战术 | zhànshù | tactics |
| 战略 | zhànlüè | strategy |
| 战友 | zhànyǒu | comrade-in-arms; battle companion |
| 搏斗 | bódòu | to wrestle; to fight; to struggle |
Questions about 战斗
What does 战斗 mean?
战斗 (zhàndòu) means "to fight; to engage in combat" and is used as a verb and noun.
How do you write 战斗?
战斗 is made of 2 characters: 战 (9 strokes), 斗 (4 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 战斗 an HSK word?
Yes. 战斗 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 战斗 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 战斗 is written 戰鬥.
Can I use 战斗 for an argument with a friend?
Not usually. For arguments people say 吵架 (chǎojià), and for physical fights between people they say 打架 (dǎjià). 战斗 sounds like military combat or a serious struggle.
What is the difference between 战斗 and 奋斗?
奋斗 (fèndòu) means to strive hard toward a goal, like a career or a dream. 战斗 focuses on fighting against an enemy or opponent. For working hard in life, 奋斗 is the natural choice.