斗 means “dipper, to (about 18 liters)”

と · to

Also: Big Dipper, ten sho (vol), sake dipper, dots and cross radical (no. 68)

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ト, トウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 4 strokes

The story

A ladle with a long handle: 斗 is ten sho, about 18 liters, and the dipper shape in the sky, 北斗七星, the Big Dipper. A 一斗缶 is the big square can for oil, and 泰斗 is a towering authority in a field.

Used in 北斗七星 (hokutoshichisei, Big Dipper), 一斗缶 (ittokan, 18-liter can), and 泰斗 (taito, leading authority)

More from Old Measures

• 尺 shaku
• 升 sho (about 1.8 liters)
• 畝 ridge (in a field)
• 壱 one (formal)
• 弐 two (formal)
• 丙 third (in a series)
• 斤 axe
• 箇 item
• 第 number (ordinal prefix)
• 丈 length
• 寸 sun (about 3 cm)
• 坪 tsubo (about 3.3 square meters)

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.