冲突 (chōngtū)

冲突 refers to a clash, disagreement, or collision between opposing forces, interests, values, or people, ranging from personal disputes to international conflicts.

Meanings

[noun] conflict, clash, confrontation
[verb] to conflict with, to clash

Example Sentences

两国之间的边境冲突已持续了数月。 Liǎng guó zhī jiān de biānjìng chōngtū yǐ chíxù le shù yuè. The border conflict between the two countries has lasted for several months.

他的个人价值观与公司文化产生了严重冲突。 Tā de gèrén jiàzhíguān yǔ gōngsī wénhuà chǎnshēng le yánzhòng chōngtū. His personal values came into serious conflict with the company culture.

通过对话解决冲突比诉诸武力更为明智。 Tōngguò duìhuà jiějué chōngtū bǐ sùzhū wǔlì gèngwéi míngzhì. Resolving conflicts through dialogue is wiser than resorting to force.

工作与家庭之间的时间冲突让他感到十分疲惫。 Gōngzuò yǔ jiātíng zhī jiān de shíjiān chōngtū ràng tā gǎndào shífēn píbèi. The time conflict between work and family left him exhausted.

文化冲突在全球化背景下是一个普遍存在的挑战。 Wénhuà chōngtū zài quánqiúhuà bèijǐng xià shì yī gè pǔbiàn cúnzài de tiǎozhàn. Cultural conflict is a universally existing challenge in the context of globalization.

双方的利益冲突使得谈判陷入了僵局。 Shuāngfāng de lìyì chōngtū shǐ de tánpàn xiàn rù le jiāngjú. The conflict of interests between the two sides pushed the negotiations into a deadlock.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
武装冲突	armed conflict
文化冲突	cultural conflict
利益冲突	conflict of interest
化解冲突	to resolve a conflict
发生冲突	to have a conflict
冲突升级	escalation of conflict

Usage Notes

冲突 can describe anything from a minor disagreement to a full-scale war. The key is the opposition or collision of forces. As a verb, it appears in structures like 与...冲突 (to conflict with) or 产生冲突 (to create a conflict). In academic Chinese, 冲突 appears frequently in discussions of sociology, international relations, and psychology.

The word 矛盾 (máodùn, contradiction/conflict) is related but broader: 矛盾 refers to contradictions and tensions in general (including philosophical contradictions), while 冲突 implies a more active, direct clash. You would say 内心矛盾 (inner contradiction/ambivalence) but 武装冲突 (armed conflict) -- not the other way around.

Memory Hook

冲 means "to rush/surge" and 突 means "to break through/burst" -- 冲突 is two forces rushing and bursting into each other, a head-on collision of opposing energies.