Learn Chinese Characters

Meaning

struggle; fight

Chinese: 争夺、争论或力求。

Hear the Four Tones

The same syllable “zheng” becomes a different word in each tone. 争 is the 1st tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.

Stroke Order

Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.

Common Words

  • 争取zhēng qǔto fight for; to strive for; to win over
  • 战争zhàn zhēngwar; conflict
  • 竞争jìng zhēngto compete; competition
  • 争论zhēng lùnto argue; to debate; to contend; argument
  • 争议zhēng yìcontroversy; dispute; to dispute

Example Sentence

同学们都在争着回答问题。Tóng xué men dōu zài zhēng zhe huí dá wèn tí.The classmates are all eager to answer the question.

同学Tóng xuéto study at the same schoomen(plural marker)dōuallzàiatzhēngto strive forzhe(ongoing action)回答huí dáto reply问题wèn tíquestion

Go deeper

Where this character comes from

Two hands pulling at one thing from above and below: ‘to contend, vie, compete; to fight, struggle; to argue, dispute; to strive for’ (争论, 竞争, 战争). Simplified from 爭.

A way to remember it

Two hands pulling one thing — to contend, to fight for.