挣 (zhèng) — to earn (money); to struggle to get free, to break free (by force)
Definition
挣 (zhèng) covers two senses: earning money (close to 赚) and breaking free by force. Compared to 赚, 挣 emphasizes the effort put in to make money, not profit.
verb
to earn (money)to struggle to get freeto break free (by force)
Examples
- 挣。Tā měi gè yuè néng zhèng bù shǎo qián.He can earn quite a bit of money every month.
- 挣，。Xiǎo niǎo yòng lì yí zhèng, cóng lóng zi lǐ fēi zǒu le.The little bird struggled once and flew out of the cage.
- 挣。Tā kào jiān zhí zhèng gòu le xué fèi.She earned enough tuition by working part-time.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 掙; 挣 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
爭
爭zhēng掙zhèng
Same sound today
The traditional form 掙 combines 手 (hand) with 爭, which gives the sound; the simplified 挣 is a shorthand.
Appears in
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