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道Nihongo Path
闘

闘·fight, struggle

On-yomi
トウ
Kun-yomi
たたか(う)

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

18 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
闘争とうそうstruggle, conflict
戦闘せんとうcombat, battle
闘うたたかうto struggle against, to fight
格闘かくとうhand-to-hand fighting, grappling

Example sentences

  1. 彼は長い間、病気と闘っている。

    かれはながいあいだ、びょうきとたたかっている。

    He has been fighting his illness for a long time.

  2. 国境で激しい戦闘が続いている。

    こっきょうではげしいせんとうがつづいている。

    Fierce fighting continues at the border.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • 闘う (to struggle against hardship, illness, injustice) and 戦う (to fight a war or a match) are both たたかう
  • Writing the modern 闘 with the older 鬥 form

Memory aid

Picture it

A gate (門) with two figures locked together inside: a fight in a closed arena, with no way out but through.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5

What does the kanji 闘 mean?