To Fight
To Struggle
intransitive verb, godan verb
Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means fight so the verb version is to fight or to struggle.
When you use 闘う instead of 戦う, it often means fighting with strong will or emotion — like battling illness, hardship, or standing up for a cause. It can be used for physical battles too, but it usually implies there's struggle and fighting spirit behind it.
Your neighborhood is fighting a struggle against car theft. Sadly, your car was stolen. So, you say: "ta-ta, car (たたか). Ta-ta."
この子たちは、みんな病気と闘っているんです。
These kids are all fighting against their diseases.