争
zhēng · HSK 3
to strive for; to vie for
🤜🤛 Two hands grabbing the same stick — that's a fight over one thing.
Oracle-bone 争 shows a hand above and a hand below tugging at a central object. The top-bottom claw shape (爫 over 彐-like hand) literally means two people contending for the same item, hence argue, dispute, compete.
争 — hand 爫 (claw) over hand 又 pulling 亅
争 depicts two hands grabbing the same object from above and below, with a vertical stroke representing the contested item between them. The image of two parties tugging at one thing gave rise to its meanings of 'to contend,' 'to fight for,' or 'to dispute.' The modern simplified form streamlines the older 爭.