争权夺利 (zhēng quán duó lì) — to scramble for power and wealth; to engage in power struggles for personal gain

Definition

A derogatory idiom for selfishly fighting for power and personal gain. Always negative — used to criticize politicians, factions, or organizations, not neutral competition.

idiom
to scramble for power and wealthto engage in power struggles for personal gain

Examples

  • 争权夺利，。
    Zhè xiē zhèng kè zhěng tiān zhēng quán duó lì, gēn běn bù guān xīn bǎi xìng de shēng huó.
    These politicians are constantly scrambling for power and wealth, and don't care at all about the people's lives.
  • 争权夺利。
    Gōng sī nèi bù zhēng quán duó lì de fēng qì ràng hěn duō yuán gōng gǎn dào shī wàng.
    The atmosphere of power struggles within the company disappointed many employees.
  • ，争权夺利。
    Lì shǐ shàng, xǔ duō wáng cháo dōu yīn huáng shì nèi bù zhēng quán duó lì ér zǒu xiàng shuāi luò.
    Throughout history, many dynasties declined due to internal power struggles within the royal family.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

争权strive for power
争zhēngstrive权quánpower
动宾Verb + object
夺利seize profit
夺duóseize利lìprofit
动宾Verb + object

争权 and 夺利 are two parallel actions, seeking 权 and seizing 利.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 爭; 争 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 爭 shows two hands on a plowshare; the simplified 争 is a later abbreviation, so this picture belongs to 爭, not 争.

Open 争 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 權; 权 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
雚
雚guàn權quán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 權 shows 木, a tree, with 雚 giving the sound; it named a kind of tree and was used for a standard weight. The simplified 权 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 权 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 奪; 夺 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 奪 includes 又 (a hand), 雀 (a bird), and 衣 (clothing), showing a hand seizing a bird from someone; the simplified 夺 is a later abbreviation.

Open 夺 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

利 combines 禾 (grain) and 刀 (knife), showing a knife used to cut grain.

Open 利 →

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