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| 竞争 [2025/08/06 01:07] – created xiaoer | 竞争 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1 |
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| ====== jìngzhēng: 竞争 - Competition, Rivalry, To Compete ====== | |
| ===== Quick Summary ===== | |
| * **Keywords:** jingzheng, 竞争, compete in Chinese, Chinese word for competition, rivalry in Chinese, HSK competition, business competition China, educational competition China, fierce competition, 内卷 | |
| * **Summary:** "竞争 (jìngzhēng)" is a fundamental Chinese word for **competition** or **rivalry**. It captures the intense struggle for resources, success, and advancement that is a defining feature of modern Chinese society, from educational pressures like the Gaokao to fierce business and market competition. Understanding **jìngzhēng** is key to grasping the high-stakes, high-pressure dynamics in everything from Chinese schools to the global marketplace. | |
| ===== Core Meaning ===== | |
| * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** jìngzhēng | |
| * **Part of Speech:** Noun / Verb | |
| * **HSK Level:** HSK 4 | |
| * **Concise Definition:** To compete; competition; rivalry. | |
| * **In a Nutshell:** 竞争 is the broad concept of competition, often implying a serious, high-stakes struggle for a limited resource, like a job, a university spot, or market share. It's less about a friendly game and more about the underlying state of rivalry and the pressure to get ahead. | |
| ===== Character Breakdown ===== | |
| * **竞 (jìng):** This character originally depicted two figures speaking or vying for position. It carries the core meaning of "to compete," "to contend," or "to race." | |
| * **争 (zhēng):** This character is a pictograph of two hands fighting over a central object. It means "to fight for," "to strive," or "to contend." | |
| * When combined, **竞争 (jìngzhēng)** creates a powerful and direct term. It fuses the idea of a race (竞) with an active struggle (争), perfectly capturing the feeling of an intense, ongoing rivalry. | |
| ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== | |
| In China, **竞争 (jìngzhēng)** is not just a concept; it's a pervasive reality woven into the fabric of daily life. The immense population and rapid economic development have created an environment where competition is exceptionally fierce. | |
| The most famous example is in education. The national college entrance exam, the **高考 (gāokǎo)**, is a monumental event where millions of students compete for a limited number of university placements. This single exam can determine a person's entire future career path, and the pressure on students and their families is immense. This is the ultimate expression of educational **竞争**. | |
| In the West, "competition" is often framed individualistically—a personal drive to win or be the best. In China, while individual ambition is present, **竞争** is often viewed through a more collective or familial lens. Success in competition isn't just a personal victory; it's about securing a stable future for one's family, bringing them honor, and fulfilling filial duties. The stakes feel higher because the outcome impacts the entire family unit. The modern slang term **[[内卷]] (nèijuǎn)**, or "involution," has emerged to describe the feeling of being trapped in a cycle of meaningless, zero-sum competition where everyone works harder but no one gets ahead, reflecting a modern fatigue with the intensity of **竞争**. | |
| ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== | |
| **竞争** is a versatile term used across many domains, usually with a neutral-to-serious connotation. | |
| * **Business and Economics:** This is one of the most common contexts. **市场竞争 (shìchǎng jìngzhēng)** means "market competition," and **竞争激烈 (jìngzhēng jīliè)**, "fierce competition," is a phrase you'll hear constantly. | |
| * **Academics and Careers:** Students face **学习竞争 (xuéxí jìngzhēng)**, or academic competition, and job seekers face intense **就业竞争 (jiùyè jìngzhēng)**, or employment competition. | |
| * **As a Verb:** It can be used directly as a verb. For example, "We must compete with them for this project." (我们必须和他们**竞争**这个项目。) | |
| * **Connotation:** While usually neutral, it can be modified to be negative, as in **恶性竞争 (èxìng jìngzhēng)**, which means "vicious" or "cut-throat competition." Conversely, **良性竞争 (liángxìng jìngzhēng)** means "healthy competition." | |
| ===== Example Sentences ===== | |
| **Example 1:** | |
| * 现在的市场**竞争**非常激烈。 | |
| * Pinyin: Xiànzài de shìchǎng **jìngzhēng** fēicháng jīliè. | |
| * English: The current market competition is extremely fierce. | |
| * Analysis: A classic and extremely common phrase. **激烈 (jīliè)** is the most common adjective used to describe **竞争**. | |
| **Example 2:** | |
| * 为了这个职位，有超过一百人来**竞争**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wèile zhège zhíwèi, yǒu chāoguò yībǎi rén lái **jìngzhēng**. | |
| * English: Over one hundred people came to compete for this position. | |
| * Analysis: Here, **竞争** is used as a verb, "to compete." The sentence structure "为了...来竞争" (wèile...lái jìngzhēng) means "to come compete for..." | |
| **Example 3:** | |
| * 我们的主要**竞争**对手是一家上海的公司。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒmen de zhǔyào **jìngzhēng** duìshǒu shì yījiā Shànghǎi de gōngsī. | |
| * English: Our main competitor is a company from Shanghai. | |
| * Analysis: **竞争** is used here as a modifier for **对手 (duìshǒu)**, creating the compound noun "competitor" or "rival." | |
| **Example 4:** | |
| * 良性的**竞争**可以促进步。 | |
| * Pinyin: Liángxìng de **jìngzhēng** kěyǐ cùjìn jìnbù. | |
| * English: Healthy competition can promote progress. | |
| * Analysis: This shows the positive side of **竞争**. **良性 (liángxìng)** means "benign" or "healthy." | |
| **Example 5:** | |
| * 他很有**竞争**精神。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā hěn yǒu **jìngzhēng** jīngshén. | |
| * English: He has a very competitive spirit. | |
| * Analysis: **竞争精神 (jìngzhēng jīngshén)** is a set phrase for "competitive spirit." | |
| **Example 6:** | |
| * 小公司很难在大公司的**竞争**中生存下来。 | |
| * Pinyin: Xiǎo gōngsī hěn nán zài dà gōngsī de **jìngzhēng** zhōng shēngcún xiàlái. | |
| * English: It's hard for small companies to survive in the competition with large companies. | |
| * Analysis: The structure "在...竞争中" (zài...jìngzhēng zhōng) means "in the midst of competition." | |
| **Example 7:** | |
| * 我们必须提高我们的**竞争**优势。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒmen bìxū tígāo wǒmen de **jìngzhēng** yōushì. | |
| * English: We must enhance our competitive advantage. | |
| * Analysis: **竞争优势 (jìngzhēng yōushì)** is the standard term for "competitive advantage." | |
| **Example 8:** | |
| * 这两个品牌正在**竞争**年轻消费者市场。 | |
| * Pinyin: Zhè liǎng gè pǐnpái zhèngzài **jìngzhēng** niánqīng xiāofèizhě shìchǎng. | |
| * English: These two brands are competing for the young consumer market. | |
| * Analysis: A clear example of the verb usage, where the object being competed for (the market) comes directly after **竞争**. | |
| **Example 9:** | |
| * 我们不应该害怕**竞争**，而应该欢迎它。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒmen bù yīnggāi hàipà **jìngzhēng**, ér yīnggāi huānyíng tā. | |
| * English: We shouldn't fear competition, but rather we should welcome it. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence shows a philosophical stance towards **竞争**, using the "不...而..." (bù...ér...) structure for "not...but rather..." | |
| **Example 10:** | |
| * 他们之间的**竞争**已经进入了白热化阶段。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tāmen zhī jiān de **jìngzhēng** yǐjīng jìnrùle báirèhuà jiēduàn. | |
| * English: The competition between them has already entered a white-hot stage. | |
| * Analysis: **白热化 (báirèhuà)** is a vivid term meaning "to turn white-hot" or "to reach a fever pitch," often used to describe intense **竞争**. | |
| ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== | |
| A major pitfall for learners is confusing **竞争 (jìngzhēng)** with **[[比赛]] (bǐsài)**. They both relate to competition, but they are not interchangeable. | |
| * **比赛 (bǐsài):** Refers to a specific event, match, or contest with clear rules, a start, and an end. Think of a basketball game (篮球比赛), a speech contest (演讲比赛), or a chess match. It's the "battle." | |
| * **竞争 (jìngzhēng):** Refers to the broader, often ongoing state of rivalry or the abstract concept of competition. It's the "war." | |
| **Incorrect Usage:** | |
| * **Incorrect:** 我昨天看了一个足球**竞争**。(Wǒ zuótiān kànle yīgè zúqiú jìngzhēng.) | |
| * **Why it's wrong:** You watched a specific *match*, not the abstract concept of football rivalry. | |
| * **Correct:** 我昨天看了一场足球**比赛**。(Wǒ zuótiān kànle yīchǎng zúqiú bǐsài.) | |
| **When to use 竞争:** | |
| Think about the underlying struggle. Companies are in **竞争** for market share. Students are in **竞争** for university spots. These are not single events but ongoing states of rivalry. You can have many **比赛** (matches) within a larger **竞争** (rivalry/league). | |
| ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== | |
| * [[比赛]] (bǐsài) - A match, contest, a specific competitive event. It is a concrete instance of 竞争. | |
| * [[对手]] (duìshǒu) - Opponent, rival. The person or entity you engage in **竞争** with. | |
| * [[压力]] (yālì) - Pressure. A very common feeling that results from intense **竞争**. | |
| * [[奋斗]] (fèndòu) - To strive, struggle, fight for a goal. This is the action one takes to succeed in a **竞争**. | |
| * [[内卷]] (nèijuǎn) - "Involution." A very popular modern slang term describing a zero-sum, seemingly pointless internal **竞争** that burns everyone out. | |
| * [[淘汰]] (táotài) - To eliminate (from a competition), to weed out. The potential negative outcome for the loser of a **竞争**. | |
| * [[优势]] (yōushì) - Advantage, superiority. The goal is to gain a **竞争优势** (competitive advantage). | |
| * [[激烈]] (jīliè) - Intense, fierce. The most common adjective paired with **竞争**. | |