挣 zhēng to struggle
to struggle; to strive; to endeavor
How to remember 挣: 扌 hand + 争 contend = to struggle. The climber grips the rock with a bleeding hand, has to contend with the icy wind, and finds the will to struggle on.
Component breakdown
挣 = 扌 hand + 争 contend
- 扌 hand
- 争 contend
- ⺈ bow
- 彐 snout
- 亅 hook
The climber grips the rock with a bleeding hand, has to contend with the icy wind, and finds the will to struggle on.
How it is used
- Polyphone: zhēng for "struggle" - 挣扎 zhēngzhá "to struggle," physically or against hardship.
- zhèng for "earn" - 挣钱 zhèngqián "to earn money," one of the most common everyday verbs about work.
- Learner trap: 挣钱 is zhèngqián, not zhēngqián - the earning sense and the struggling sense have different tones.