jìngzhēng: 竞争 - Competition, Rivalry, To Compete

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

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 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.

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).

• 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.