竞争 (jìngzhēng)

竞争 describes the act of competing against others for a shared objective, whether it is a prize, a job, a market share, or recognition. As a noun it refers to competition in general, and it can carry either a positive (motivating) or negative (harmful) connotation depending on context.

Meanings

[verb] To compete; to contend; to vie.
[noun] Competition; rivalry.

Example Sentences

在全球化的背景下，企业面临越来越激烈的市场竞争。 Zài quánqiú huà de bèijǐng xià, qǐyè miànlín yuèláiyuè jīliè de shìchǎng jìngzhēng. Against the backdrop of globalization, companies face increasingly fierce market competition.

他凭借出色的能力在众多候选人中脱颖而出，赢得了这个职位。 Tā píngjiè chūsè de nénglì zài zhòngduō hòuxuǎn rén zhōng tuōyǐng ér chū, yíngdé le zhège zhíwèi. He stood out among many candidates through outstanding ability and won the position.

适度的竞争有助于激发学生的学习积极性。 Shìdù de jìngzhēng yǒu zhù yú jīfā xuéshēng de xuéxí jījí xìng. A moderate degree of competition helps to stimulate students' enthusiasm for learning.

这两家公司在技术领域展开了激烈的竞争。 Zhè liǎng jiā gōngsī zài jìshù lǐngyù zhǎnkāi le jīliè de jìngzhēng. The two companies launched fierce competition in the technology sector.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
市场竞争	market competition
激烈竞争	fierce competition
参与竞争	participate in competition
竞争力	competitiveness
公平竞争	fair competition

Usage Notes

竞争 often appears with 激烈 (jīliè, fierce) or 公平 (gōngpíng, fair) as modifiers. The derived noun 竞争力 (competitiveness) is extremely common in business and educational contexts. Note the difference from 比赛 (bǐsài), which refers to a specific contest or match with clear rules, while 竞争 describes a broader, often ongoing, rivalry.

Memory Hook

竞 shows two people side by side (a pictographic hint of rivalry), and 争 means "to contend/fight for." Two people standing side by side, each fighting to get ahead — that is competition.