竞争
jìngzhēng · HSK 5
competition
🏆 竞 = compete + 争 = contend; both halves mean rivalry
竞 (jìng) means to compete or contest, and 争 (zhēng) means to contend or struggle for. Stacking two near-synonyms intensifies the idea, giving 竞争 the strong sense of competition or rivalry.
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.
jìng zhēng · HSK 5
competition
🏁 竞 (compete) + 争 (contend) = competition
竞 means to compete or vie; 争 means to contend or struggle for. Together they stack two near-synonyms for rivalry, a common Chinese pattern where pairing similar characters intensifies the meaning.
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.