Chinese Conversation · Level 68
90 words
Chinese word
争执
Pronunciation
Pinyinzhēng zhí
Meaning
- verbargue
Example
夫妻经常为小事争执。fū qī jīng cháng wèi xiǎo shì zhēng zhí
Husband and wife often argue over small things.
More examples
项目组成员在会议上与主管争执，气氛很紧张。xiàng mù zǔ chéng yuán zài huì yì shàng yǔ zhú guǎn zhēng zhí qì fēn hěn jǐn zhāng
Project team members argued with their supervisor at the meeting, and the atmosphere was very tense.
Core concept
A verbal tug-of-war between people who hold opposing views, usually brief and without physical force.
Common phrases
与对方争执yǔ duì fāng zhēng zhí
argue with the other person
在会议上争执zài huì yì shàng zhēng zhí
argue at the meeting
双方争执shuāng fāng zhēng zhí
both sides argue
Similar words
吵架chǎo jià: Quarrel loudly and emotionally with another person.
争吵zhēng chǎo: Engage in a mutual verbal quarrel.
争论zhēng lùn: Debate an issue by presenting and examining different views.
Definition in Chinese
对某一问题持不同看法而引起的言语上的争辩或对立，多指短暂的口头冲突而非身体冲突。duì mǒu yí wèn tí chí bù tóng kàn fǎ ér yín qǐ de yán yǔ shàng de zhēng biàn huò duì lì duō zhǐ duǎn zàn de kǒu tóu chōng tū ér fēi shēn tǐ chōng tū
Word origin
The word combines 争 (zhēng, "contend") with 执 (zhí, "hold firmly"), picturing people holding to opposing positions and contending in speech.
Usage tips
- English argue can describe calmly giving reasons, whereas this word normally highlights friction between opposing sides, so it signals more tension than a formal exchange of views.
Other meanings
- argumentnoun
Opposites
- 妥协tuǒ xiécompromiseverb
- 调和tiáo héreconcileverb
Related words
- 争执者zhēng zhí zhěarguernoun
- 争执不休zhēng zhí bù xiūargue endlesslyidiom