verb HSK 4
Traditional 爭
to fight for · to contend · to strive for · to争ue
Meaning
争 means to compete for something, to争ue over something, or to strive to obtain it. It carries the sense of active争tention or struggle between parties seeking the same goal or resource. The character originally depicted two hands争bing at something.
Usage
争 is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts. It often appears in compounds like 争论 (to argue), 竞争 (to compete), and 争取 (to strive for). When used alone, it typically requires an object indicating what is being fought for.
Examples
- 01两个公司在争这个项目。.Two companies are competing for this project.
- 02我们不应该为小事争吵。.We shouldn't argue over small matters.
Common collocations
- 争第一to strive to be first
- 争权夺利to争amble for power and profit
- 力争to make every effort to
- 争分夺秒to race against time
Antonyms
Origin
The traditional form 爭 shows a hand (爪) over an object (彐), depicting the action of grabbing or争tending for something.