挣 meaning and stroke order
To struggle to get free; to strive to acquire; to make (money)
How to write 挣, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 挣
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to struggle to get free
- to strive to acquire
- to make (money)
- used in 掙扎|挣扎[zheng1 zha2]
How 挣 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To fight 争 by hand 扌; 争 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 挣
挣 combines the hand radical 扌 with 争 (zhēng, to fight). Picture your hands fighting to break free or to grab money, and 争 also hints at the sound.
In everyday speech 挣 (zhèng) most often means to earn, as in 挣钱 (zhèngqián). It also means to struggle free, as in 挣脱 (zhèngtuō). Example: 他每个月挣五千块。(Tā měi gè yuè zhèng wǔqiān kuài.) He earns five thousand yuan a month.
Common mistake: Learners often write 争 (zhēng) when they mean 挣. 争 is to compete or argue, while 挣 with the hand radical is to earn or struggle physically. Also remember 挣扎 uses first tone zhēng, but 挣钱 uses fourth tone zhèng.
Common words with 挣
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
挣 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 挣
How many strokes are in 挣?
挣 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 挣 mean?
挣 (zhèng) means to struggle to get free; to strive to acquire; to make (money). A common word with it is 挣钱 (zhèngqián), meaning "to make money".
How do you pronounce 挣?
挣 has more than one reading: zhèng and zhēng. The most common is zhèng, said in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 挣?
The radical of 挣 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 挣 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 挣?
The traditional form of 挣 is 掙. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 挣 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 挣 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 挣 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
When is 挣 pronounced zhēng instead of zhèng?
Almost only in the word 挣扎 (zhēngzhá, to struggle) and phrases built on it, like 垂死挣扎. In other words, such as 挣钱 and 挣脱, it is zhèng.
What is the difference between 挣钱 and 赚钱?
Both mean to make money. 挣钱 (zhèngqián) suggests earning through work or effort, like a salary. 赚钱 (zhuànqián) leans toward making a profit, as in business.