verb / noun HSK 5
Traditional 爭鬥
zhēng dòu
to fight · to struggle · to contend · conflict · struggle

Meaning

争斗 refers to active fighting, struggling, or contention between parties. It carries a sense of ongoing conflict or competition, whether physical combat or metaphorical struggle for power, resources, or position. The word emphasizes the dynamic, competitive nature of the conflict rather than just disagreement.

Usage

争斗 is commonly used in both literal contexts (physical fights, battles) and figurative contexts (power struggles, competitive situations). It appears frequently in written Chinese, news reports, and formal speech. The tone is relatively neutral to formal, and it often describes conflicts between groups, factions, or individuals vying for dominance or advantage.

Examples

  1. 01
    两个部落之间的争斗持续了很多年。
    Liǎng luò zhī jiān de zhēng dòu chí le hěn duō nián.
    The struggle between the two tribes lasted for many years.
  2. 02
    公司高层的权力争斗影响了业务发展。
    Gōng gāo céng de quán zhēng dòu yǐng xiǎng le zhǎn.
    The power struggle among company executives affected business development.

Characters

Measure words

  • chǎng一场争斗
  • 几次争斗

Common collocations

  • 内部争斗
    nèi zhēng dòu
    internal strife
  • 权力争斗
    quán zhēng dòu
    power struggle
  • 激烈的争斗
    liè de zhēng dòu
    fierce struggle
  • 停止争斗
    tíng zhǐ zhēng dòu
    to stop fighting

Antonyms

Origin

Both characters independently relate to conflict: 争 originally depicted two hands pulling at something, suggesting competition, while 斗 shows two people or hands in confrontation. Together they reinforce the concept of active fighting or struggling.

Related