‘竞争’ (jìng zhēng) is a compound noun meaning ‘competition’—a situation where two or more parties strive against each other for the same goal, such as resources, status, or survival. The first character 竞 (jìng) conveys ‘to vie’ or ‘to compete eagerly,’ while 争 (zhēng) means ‘to contend’ or ‘to dispute.’ Together, they emphasize active, often intense rivalry. It’s commonly used in contexts ranging from biology (e.g., interspecies competition for food) to business, sports, and education.

In modern Chinese, ‘竞争’ carries a neutral-to-positive connotation when describing healthy, rule-based striving (e.g., market competition), but can imply stress or pressure when overemphasized (e.g., excessive academic competition). Unlike the verb 争夺 (duó), which stresses aggressive grabbing, ‘竞争’ focuses on ongoing, systemic rivalry under shared conditions or rules.