战斗

• Pinyin: zhàn dòu
• Hanzi breakdown: 战 = 单 + 戈 (spear), war or battle; 斗 = pictograph of two people fighting or a ladle, to fight or struggle

Meaning

To fight; combat; battle. Used both as a verb (to engage in combat) and a noun (a fight or battle).

Refers to armed conflict or intense struggle, whether military, metaphorical, or competitive. In everyday speech it can be used figuratively to mean working hard or striving intensely against difficulties. 战斗力 means combat power or fighting capacity.

Examples

1. 士兵们在极端恶劣的天气下坚持战斗，保卫了阵地。 The soldiers kept fighting in extremely harsh weather conditions and successfully defended their position.
2. 他把每一次考试都当成一场战斗，认真备战。 He treats every exam as a battle and prepares for it with great seriousness.
3. 这支球队的战斗精神让观众非常感动。 The fighting spirit of this team moved the audience deeply.

Usage Guide

Context: military, competition, everyday

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 他们浴血战斗，终于取得了胜利。(They fought with great sacrifice and finally achieved victory.)
• 面对困难，我们要有战斗到底的勇气。(Facing difficulties, we need the courage to fight to the end.)

Don't Say

• 在正式场合用'战斗'形容日常小事 (Avoid using 战斗 to describe trivial everyday matters in formal contexts — it carries a strong connotation of serious conflict or determined struggle)

Origin & History

A compound of 战 (war, to fight) and 斗 (to fight, to struggle). Both components convey conflict and struggle, together emphasising active combat or competition.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal