Common Meanings
1
dǒu斗
A traditional Chinese unit of capacity (equal to ten liters), often used in the idiom 'dǒu jiǔ zhī jī' to describe simple hospitality or a humble meal.
他常用斗酒只鸡招待远道而来的朋友。
He often entertains friends from afar with simple hospitality, symbolized by 'dǒu jiǔ zhī jī'.
A traditional measuring tool for grain; figuratively, it describes a person with a small capacity, shallow knowledge, or narrow-mindedness, as in the idiom '斗筲之人' (dǒu shāo zhī rén).
他心胸狭窄，见识短浅，活脱脱一个斗筲之人
He is narrow-minded and shallow, truly a person of small capacity.
Used to describe something as large, often implying boldness or audacity, as in 'daring' or 'audacious'.
我斗胆直言，您今天的表现非常出色
I dare to speak frankly, your performance today was truly outstanding.
Used to describe something small, as in '斗室' (a tiny room).
他住在一间斗室里，虽然小但很温馨。
He lives in a tiny room; though small, it's very cozy.
Refers to objects shaped like a 'dǒu' (a scoop, bucket, or dipper), often used as part of compound words for tools or garments, such as '斗笠' (bamboo hat), '斗篷' (cloak), or '熨斗' (iron).
我需要用熨斗熨平这件衬衫。
I need to iron this shirt flat with an iron.
Refers to a constellation, specifically one of the Twenty-eight Mansions, or more broadly to stars, such as the Southern Dipper.
夜空中，南斗星辰闪耀着微光。
In the night sky, the stars of the Southern Dipper shimmer with faint light.
Circular fingerprint patterns; a whorl pattern on a fingertip.
医生说我的指纹是斗纹。
The doctor said my fingerprints are whorl patterns.
Steep; towering like a precipitous cliff or peak.
这山峰斗峭，攀登难度极大。
This mountain peak is steep and precipitous, making climbing extremely difficult.
In traditional Chinese architecture, 'dǒu' (斗) is the square block that supports the 'gǒng' (拱, an arc-shaped bracket) in a 'dǒugǒng' (斗拱) system.
这座古建筑的屋檐下有精美的斗拱。
This ancient building features exquisite dougong brackets under its eaves.
Suddenly; abruptly.
天气斗然转凉，大家纷纷加衣。
The weather suddenly turned cold, and everyone put on more clothes.