爭 meaning and stroke order
To dispute, to fight, to contend, to strive
How to write 爭, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 爭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to strive for
- to vie for
- to argue or debate
- deficient or lacking (dialect)
- how or what (literary)
How 爭 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Two hands 爪 and 彐 fighting over 亅.
Radical: 爫 (claws), shared by 7 characters on this site.
How to remember 爭
The top part 爫 is a hand reaching down, and 彐 is another hand. Both hands grab the same stick 亅 in the middle, so two people are pulling and fighting over one thing.
爭 is the traditional form of 争, and on its own it means to fight for or argue about something. It appears mostly in compounds like 爭取 (zhēngqǔ) and 競爭 (jìngzhēng). Example: 他們在爭第一名。(Tāmen zài zhēng dì yī míng.) They are competing for first place.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 爭 with 筝 (zhēng, a zither) or 睁 (zhēng, to open the eyes), which share the same sound but have extra parts on the side or top. Also keep the first tone: zhēng is high and flat, not zhèng as in 正.
Common words with 爭
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 爭取 | zhēngqǔ | to fight for; to strive for | HSK 3 |
| 戰爭 | zhànzhēng | war; conflict | HSK 4 |
| 爭論 | zhēnglùn | to argue; to debate | HSK 4 |
| 競爭 | jìngzhēng | to compete; competition | HSK 5 |
| 爭議 | zhēngyì | controversy; dispute | HSK 5 |
| 鬥爭 | dòuzhēng | a struggle; fight | HSK 6 |
| 爭奪 | zhēngduó | to fight over; to contest | HSK 6 |
| 爭吵 | zhēngchǎo | to quarrel; dispute | HSK 7-9 |
| 抗爭 | kàngzhēng | to resist; to make a stand and fight (against) | HSK 7-9 |
| 爭執 | zhēngzhí | to dispute; to disagree | HSK 7-9 |
| 爭端 | zhēngduān | dispute; controversy | HSK 7-9 |
| 力爭 | lìzhēng | to work hard for; to do all one can | HSK 7-9 |
| 爭光 | zhēngguāng | to win an honor; to strive to win a prize | HSK 7-9 |
| 爭氣 | zhēngqì | to work hard for sth; to resolve on improvement | HSK 7-9 |
Characters that contain 爭
Learning 爭 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 爭
How many strokes are in 爭?
爭 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 爭 mean?
爭 (zhēng) means to dispute, to fight, to contend, to strive. A common word with it is 争取 (zhēngqǔ), meaning "to fight for; to strive for".
How do you pronounce 爭?
爭 is pronounced zhēng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 爭?
The radical of 爭 is 爫, which carries the idea of "claws". Dictionaries list 爭 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 爭?
爭 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 争, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 爭 mean in classical or literary Chinese?
In literary texts 爭 can mean how or why, similar to 怎. You see this in old poetry, such as 爭知 meaning how could one know.
What is the difference between 爭論 and 爭吵?
爭論 (zhēnglùn) is arguing or debating points, and it can be calm and reasoned. 爭吵 (zhēngchǎo) is quarreling with raised voices and emotion.