争夺
zhēng duó · HSK 6
to contest
⚔️🏆 争 (struggle) + 夺 (seize) = fight to seize something from each other
zhēng already means to contend or argue; duó means to snatch or take by force. Together they describe two sides actively battling to grab the same prize — a contest where both parties pull hard.
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.
夺 — big 大 + short-tailed bird 隹 + hand 寸
Originally written 奪, showing a hand (寸) seizing a bird (隹) from someone's grasp (大), depicting the act of snatching away. The simplified form 夺 drops the bird component but keeps the meaning of seizing, taking by force, or contending for something.