搏斗

• Pinyin: bó dòu
• Hanzi breakdown: 搏 = 扌(hand) + 尃 (to spread), meaning to strike with hands; 斗 = pictograph of two hands fighting

Meaning

To wrestle; to fight; to struggle. Physical combat or intense struggle against something.

Used for physical fights, hand-to-hand combat, and metaphorically for struggles against difficulties, fate, or adversity. More intense than 斗争, emphasizing physical or visceral struggle.

Examples

1. 消防员在火海中与死神搏斗，最终救出了被困的孩子。 The firefighters fought against death in the sea of flames and finally rescued the trapped child.
2. 猎人与野狼进行了一场惊心动魄的搏斗。 The hunter engaged in a heart-stopping fight with the wild wolf.
3. 他与病魔搏斗了三年，展现出惊人的意志力。 He battled illness for three years, displaying remarkable willpower.

Usage Guide

Context: combat, struggle, metaphorical

Tone: dramatic

Do Say

• 他们在黑暗中搏斗了几分钟。(They fought in the darkness for several minutes.)
• 与命运搏斗是他一生的主题。(Struggling against fate was the theme of his life.)

Don't Say

• 我和数学作业搏斗了一晚上。(For homework struggles, use 奋战 or just 做 — 搏斗 is too dramatic)

Origin & History

搏 (to fight, strike) + 斗 (to fight, struggle). A compound emphasizing intense physical combat.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal