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A2 verb #5,000 mais comum 4 min de leitura

挣扎

zheng zha Top 5,000

Pratique Exemplos Notas e dicas 挣扎 em 30 segundos

Explicação 挣扎 in your Level:

At the A1 level, you can think of 挣扎 (zhēng zhá) as a very strong word for 'hard effort.' While you might not use it often yourself, you might hear it in stories where an animal or person is trying to get away from something. It's like when you try very, very hard to move but it is difficult. Remember: 挣 (zhēng) looks a bit like the word for 'hand' on the left, which helps you remember it involves physical movement.

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For A2 learners, 挣扎 is used to describe physical struggle. If you are swimming and it's hard to stay above water, you are '挣扎.' You can also use it for simple daily things to be funny, like '挣扎着起床' (struggling to get out of bed). It shows that something is not easy and requires a lot of energy. It's a verb that shows action and effort in a difficult situation.

At the B1 level, you should start using 挣扎 for more abstract situations. This includes economic struggles (挣扎在贫困中) or basic mental conflict. You will see it in news headlines about people facing hard times. It's important to differentiate it from '努力' (nǔlì - effort). 挣扎 implies you are in a 'bad' place and want to get out, while 努力 is just working hard towards something good.

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By B2, you should be familiar with common collocations and idioms like '垂死挣扎' (deathbed struggle). You can use 挣扎 to describe complex emotions, such as being torn between following your parents' wishes or your own dreams. It is a frequent word in literature and formal writing to depict the human condition and the hardships of life. You should also notice how it functions as a noun in phrases like '经过一番挣扎' (after a period of struggle).

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At the C1 level, you should appreciate the literary depth of 挣扎. It is often used to describe the existential struggle of characters in modern Chinese literature. You should be able to use it to describe nuanced social phenomena, such as the struggle of traditional cultures in a modernizing world. Your usage should reflect the desperate and often futile nature that the word can imply, distinguishing it from more optimistic words like '进取' (jìnqǔ - to be enterprising).

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For C2 mastery, 挣扎 is used to discuss philosophical concepts of human struggle against fate or systemic oppression. You can use it in academic contexts to analyze the 'struggle for survival' (生存挣扎) in biological or sociological terms. You should be able to use the word with precision in high-level rhetoric, using its connotations of agony and resistance to paint vivid linguistic pictures of conflict and endurance.

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Pratique Exemplos Notas e dicas

挣扎 em 30 segundos

挣扎 (zhēng zhá) means to struggle physically or mentally to escape a difficult situation.
It is often used for drowning, being trapped, or facing hard life choices.
The word carries a negative, desperate tone compared to 'working hard.'
Common idioms include '垂死挣扎' (a final, desperate deathbed struggle).

The Chinese word 挣扎 (zhēng zhá) is a powerful verb that translates primarily to 'to struggle' or 'to flounder.' At its core, it describes a physical or mental effort to free oneself from a difficult, painful, or restrictive situation. Imagine a fish caught in a net, twisting its body to escape—that physical movement is the essence of 挣扎. However, in modern Mandarin, its usage has expanded significantly into the psychological realm, describing the internal conflict one feels when making a hard decision or trying to overcome emotional distress.

Physical Context: Used when someone is physically trapped, drowning, or fighting against physical restraint. It implies a sense of desperation and intense effort.

那个落水的人在河里拼命挣扎。 (The person who fell into the water was struggling desperately in the river.)

Mental/Emotional Context: Refers to the 'inner struggle' (内心挣扎) when one is torn between two choices or trying to resist a temptation.

In literature and news, you will often see it paired with 'death' in the idiom 垂死挣扎 (chuí sǐ zhēng zhá), meaning a deathbed struggle or a final, desperate attempt by a failing entity to survive. This word carries a heavy emotional weight, often suggesting that the odds are against the person struggling.

Using 挣扎 correctly requires understanding its grammatical flexibility. It usually functions as a verb, but it can also act as a noun in certain contexts. It is frequently modified by adverbs like 拼命 (desperately), 痛苦地 (painfully), or 无力地 (feebly).

Verb + Complement: Often followed by '着' (zhe) to indicate an ongoing state of struggle. Example: '他挣扎着站了起来' (He struggled to his feet).

他在贫困线上挣扎了很多年。 (He struggled on the poverty line for many years.)

When describing social or economic conditions, 挣扎 suggests a fight for survival. For instance, a small business might be '挣扎在破产边缘' (struggling on the brink of bankruptcy). Note that 挣扎 is an intransitive verb; you struggle *in* a situation or struggle *to do* something, but you don't 'struggle someone.'

You will encounter 挣扎 in a variety of media, ranging from dramatic TV shows to news reports about economic hardship. It is a staple in storytelling where characters face adversity.

In News and Media: Journalists use it to describe refugees, victims of natural disasters, or economies in recession. It evokes empathy from the audience.

许多小企业在疫情期间苦苦挣扎。 (Many small businesses struggled hard during the pandemic.)

In everyday conversation, it's used more metaphorically. A student might say they are '挣扎' with a difficult math problem, though this is slightly dramatic. A more common conversational use is when someone is trying to wake up in the morning: '我每天早上都要挣扎着起床' (I struggle to get out of bed every morning).

Learners often confuse 挣扎 with similar words like 奋斗 (fèndòu) or 努力 (nǔlì). While all involve effort, the connotation of 挣扎 is much more negative and desperate.

Mistake 1: Positive vs. Negative: Don't use 挣扎 for positive striving. For 'I am struggling to be the best,' use 奋斗. Use 挣扎 for 'I am struggling to survive.'

Incorrect: 我在挣扎学习。 (I am struggling to study - implies it's a life-threatening ordeal.) Correct: 我在努力学习。

Another common mistake is the pronunciation of the second character. 扎 in this word is pronounced zhá (2nd tone), but in other words like 扎针 (zhā zhēn - to give an injection), it is 1st tone. Be careful not to say 'zhēng zhā'.

Understanding the nuances between 挣扎 and its synonyms will help you sound more like a native speaker.

挣扎 vs. 奋斗 (fèndòu): 挣扎 is reactive (escaping pain); 奋斗 is proactive (achieving a goal).
挣扎 vs. 纠结 (jiūjié): 纠结 is for minor indecision (what to eat); 挣扎 is for deep moral or life-altering conflict.
挣扎 vs. 拼搏 (pīnbó): 拼搏 is often used in sports or business to describe 'fighting hard' for victory.

How Formal Is It?

Curiosidade

Although 挣扎 looks like a modern word, its components have been used to describe physical exertion for centuries. The character 扎 is also used in '扎实' (zhāshi), meaning solid or sturdy, showing the 'staying power' required in a struggle.

Guia de pronúncia

UK /tʂəŋ˥ tʂa˧˩/

US /tʂəŋ˥ tʂa˧˩/

Primary stress on the first syllable 'zhēng'.

Rima com

正 (zhèng) 成 (chéng) 生 (shēng) 冷 (lěng) 打 (dǎ) 马 (mǎ) 卡 (kǎ) 怕 (pà)

Erros comuns

Pronouncing 'zhá' as 'zhā' (1st tone).
Pronouncing 'zhēng' as 'zhèng' (4th tone), which means 'to earn'.
Confusing the retroflex 'zh' with a simple 'z' sound.
Writing the second character as '札' (zhá - letter) instead of '扎'.
Using a light tone for 'zhá' when it should be a full 2nd tone.

Nível de dificuldade

Leitura 3/5

The characters are somewhat complex but commonly seen.

Escrita 4/5

Writing '挣' and '扎' requires attention to the hand radical and stroke order.

Expressão oral 2/5

Pronunciation is straightforward if tones are mastered.

Audição 3/5

Can be confused with '挣钱' (zhèng qián) if not careful.

O que aprender depois

Pré-requisitos

努力痛苦手水死

Aprenda a seguir

奋斗拼搏抗争犹豫纠结

Avançado

生存竞争存在主义博弈困兽犹斗

Gramática essencial

The use of '着' (zhe) with verbs of state.

他挣扎着站了起来。

The '在...中' (zài...zhōng) structure for environments.

他在痛苦中挣扎。

Resultative complements with 挣扎.

他挣扎出了困境。

Adverbial modification using '地' (de).

他拼命地挣扎。

Noun usage of verbs in Chinese.

这是一种无谓的挣扎。

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Exemplos por nível

小鱼在网上挣扎。

The little fish is struggling in the net.

Subject + 在 + Place + 挣扎

他在水里挣扎。

He is struggling in the water.

Used as a physical action verb.

不要挣扎！

Don't struggle!

Imperative sentence.

猫在挣扎。

The cat is struggling.

Simple Subject + Verb.

他在挣扎着起来。

He is struggling to get up.

Verb + 着 + Action.

他在雪地里挣扎。

He is struggling in the snow.

Describes physical difficulty.

小狗在挣扎。

The puppy is struggling.

Basic action.

他在挣扎，想走。

He is struggling, wanting to leave.

Compound sentence with intention.

我每天早上都要挣扎着起床。

I have to struggle to get out of bed every morning.

Used metaphorically for daily difficulty.

这个小公司在挣扎。

This small company is struggling.

Abstract usage for business.

他痛苦地挣扎着。

He was struggling painfully.

Adverb + 地 + Verb.

他在为了生活而挣扎。

He is struggling for a living.

为了...而... pattern.

那只鸟在挣扎着飞。

That bird is struggling to fly.

Verb + 着 + Verb.

他挣扎了很久才决定。

He struggled for a long time before deciding.

Describes mental struggle.

他在泥土里挣扎。

He is struggling in the mud.

Physical environment.

她挣扎着推开了门。

She struggled to push open the door.

Resultative usage.

他内心在激烈地挣扎。

He is having a fierce internal struggle.

内心 + 挣扎 is a common phrase.

很多家庭在贫困中挣扎。

Many families are struggling in poverty.

Prepositional phrase '在...中'.

他在死亡线上挣扎。

He was struggling on the verge of death.

Fixed expression for medical emergency.

那个国家正在经济危机中挣扎。

That country is struggling in an economic crisis.

Subject + 正在 + Context + 挣扎.

他挣扎着说出了真相。

He struggled to tell the truth.

Indicates mental difficulty in speaking.

不管他怎么挣扎，都逃不掉。

No matter how he struggles, he cannot escape.

不管...都... structure.

他在权力和良心之间挣扎。

He is struggling between power and conscience.

Between A and B.

她挣扎着想想起那个人的名字。

She struggled to remember that person's name.

Struggling with memory.

这只是他失败前的垂死挣扎。

This is just his deathbed struggle before failure.

Uses the idiom 垂死挣扎.

他挣扎在理想与现实的边缘。

He struggles on the edge of ideals and reality.

Poetic/Metaphorical usage.

经过一番挣扎，他终于戒烟了。

After a period of struggle, he finally quit smoking.

挣扎 used as a noun here.

他在黑暗中挣扎着寻找出口。

He struggled in the dark to find an exit.

Physical and metaphorical search.

这种文化在现代社会中苦苦挣扎。

This culture is struggling hard in modern society.

Abstract social struggle.

他挣扎着拒绝了这份诱惑。

He struggled to refuse this temptation.

Moral struggle.

他在绝望中挣扎，寻找希望。

He struggled in despair, looking for hope.

Emotional contrast.

由于受伤，他只能在地上挣扎。

Due to the injury, he could only struggle on the ground.

Cause and effect.

这部小说描写了底层人民的生存挣扎。

This novel depicts the survival struggle of the people at the bottom.

Survival struggle as a compound noun.

他在名利的诱惑下，内心经历了剧烈的挣扎。

Under the temptation of fame and fortune, he experienced an intense inner struggle.

High-level vocabulary (剧烈, 诱惑).

这种濒临灭绝的动物仍在为生存而挣扎。

This endangered animal is still struggling for survival.

Formal environmental context.

历史的洪流中，个人的挣扎显得如此渺小。

In the torrent of history, the struggle of an individual seems so small.

Philosophical reflection.

他试图挣扎出这种压抑的家庭环境。

He tried to struggle out of this oppressive family environment.

挣扎出 (struggle out of) as a phrasal verb.

他的辩解不过是无力的挣扎而已。

His excuse is nothing more than a feeble struggle.

Negative evaluation of effort.

在权力斗争中，他不断地挣扎求生。

In the power struggle, he constantly struggled to survive.

Political context.

即使在最黑暗的时刻，他也没有停止挣扎。

Even in the darkest moments, he did not stop struggling.

Emphasis on persistence.

人类文明史本质上就是一部与自然环境抗衡与挣扎的历史。

The history of human civilization is essentially a history of contending and struggling with the natural environment.

Academic/Historical tone.

他在存在主义的虚无感中苦苦挣扎。

He struggled bitterly within the existential sense of nothingness.

Philosophical terminology.

这种制度性的束缚让每一个身处其中的人都感到挣扎。

This institutional constraint makes everyone within it feel the struggle.

Sociological critique.

他那番关于自由的演讲，其实是对内心长期挣扎的总结。

His speech about freedom was actually a summary of his long-term inner struggle.

Complex sentence structure.

在资本的逻辑下，劳动力往往只能陷入无休止的挣扎。

Under the logic of capital, labor often can only fall into endless struggle.

Marxist/Economic analysis.

这种艺术风格反映了战后一代人精神上的挣扎与迷茫。

This artistic style reflects the spiritual struggle and confusion of the post-war generation.

Art criticism context.

他在法律的边缘挣扎，试图寻找那一丝正义的可能。

He struggled on the edge of the law, trying to find that sliver of possibility for justice.

Nuanced legal context.

生命本身就是一场在必然性与偶然性之间的永恒挣扎。

Life itself is an eternal struggle between necessity and contingency.

Existential philosophy.

Colocações comuns

垂死挣扎

内心挣扎

拼命挣扎

无力挣扎

挣扎求生

在贫困中挣扎

挣扎着起床

苦苦挣扎

挣扎出

挣扎着站起来

Frases Comuns

生死挣扎

— A life-and-death struggle.

他在激流中进行生死挣扎。

不断挣扎

— To struggle continuously.

他的一生都在不断挣扎。

绝望的挣扎

— A desperate struggle.

这只是绝望的挣扎，没有用的。

挣扎不开

— Cannot struggle free.

绳子太紧，他挣扎不开。

挣扎着说

— To struggle to speak.

他挣扎着说出了最后的心愿。

在痛苦中挣扎

— To struggle in pain.

他在病痛中挣扎了多年。

为了自由而挣扎

— To struggle for freedom.

奴隶们为了自由而挣扎。

挣扎前行

— To struggle forward.

队伍在暴风雨中挣扎前行。

挣扎求存

— To struggle to survive.

这些小动物在严冬中挣扎求存。

灵魂的挣扎

— The struggle of the soul.

这是他灵魂深处的挣扎。

Frequentemente confundido com

挣扎 vs 挣钱

Same first character (挣), but 挣钱 is zhèng qián (4th tone) and means to earn money.

挣扎 vs 扎实

Same second character (扎), but 扎实 is zhā shi (1st tone) and means solid/sturdy.

挣扎 vs 奋斗

Both mean struggle, but 奋斗 is positive striving while 挣扎 is often desperate.

Expressões idiomáticas

"垂死挣扎"

— The last struggle of a person or thing that is dying/failing.

这是困兽的垂死挣扎。

Formal

"困兽犹斗"

— A cornered beast will still fight (similar to desperate struggle).

不要大意，对方现在是困兽犹斗。

Literary

"负隅顽抗"

— To resist stubbornly from a vantage point (often used for criminals).

歹徒依然在负隅顽抗。

Formal

"孤军奋战"

— To fight alone without help.

他在没有任何支持的情况下孤军奋战。

General

"力争上游"

— To strive for the best (positive version of struggle).

青少年应该力争上游。

Positive

"百折不挠"

— To be undaunted by repeated setbacks.

他以百折不挠的精神克服了困难。

Positive

"自强不息"

— To constantly strive for self-improvement.

中华民族具有自强不息的传统。

Formal/Positive

"死里逃生"

— To escape from the brink of death.

在那场空难中，他死里逃生。

General

"九死一生"

— A near-death experience (nine deaths, one life).

这次探险真是九死一生。

General

"苟延残喘"

— To prolong one's meager existence; to linger on.

那家破产的公司还在苟延残喘。

Negative

Fácil de confundir

挣扎 vs 奋斗

Both translate to 'struggle' in English.

奋斗 is proactive and positive (striving for success). 挣扎 is reactive and often negative (trying to escape pain).

我为梦想奋斗 (I strive for my dream) vs 我在痛苦中挣扎 (I struggle in pain).

挣扎 vs 拼搏

Both involve high effort.

拼搏 is used in sports/business for 'fighting hard' to win. 挣扎 is for survival.

运动员在拼搏 (Athletes are fighting hard).

挣扎 vs 纠结

Both relate to mental conflict.

纠结 is for minor, annoying decisions. 挣扎 is for deep, painful moral dilemmas.

我纠结买哪件衣服 (I'm conflicted which clothes to buy).

挣扎 vs 努力

General words for effort.

努力 is simply 'working hard'. 挣扎 implies the work is extremely difficult or desperate.

努力学习 (Study hard).

挣扎 vs 搏斗

Both imply physical fight.

搏斗 is a combat between two parties. 挣扎 is a single party trying to get free.

与敌人搏斗 (Fight with the enemy).

Padrões de frases

Subject + 在 + Place + 挣扎

他在水里挣扎。

Subject + 挣扎着 + Verb

他挣扎着站起来。

内心 + 挣扎

我内心很挣扎。

在...边缘挣扎

在死亡边缘挣扎。

经过一番挣扎

经过一番挣扎，他同意了。

为...而挣扎

为生存而挣扎。

挣扎出...

挣扎出这种环境。

...是...的挣扎

这是对命运的挣扎。

Família de palavras

Substantivos

挣扎者 (struggler)

Verbos

挣 (to earn/struggle)

扎 (to prick/struggle)

挣脱 (to break free)

Adjetivos

挣扎的 (struggling)

Relacionado

奋斗

拼搏

抗争

纠结

痛苦

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Como usar

frequency

Common in literature, news, and drama; moderately common in daily speech.

Erros comuns

Using 挣扎 for 'I struggle with Chinese'. → 学习中文对我来说很困难。
挣扎 is too intense for language learning unless it's a life-altering crisis.
Pronouncing 'zhá' as 'zhā'. → zhēng zhá
The second character is 2nd tone in this word.
Writing '挣扎' as '争扎'. → 挣扎
Don't forget the hand radical (扌).
Using 挣扎 as a transitive verb (e.g., 挣扎他). → 跟他挣扎 / 在他的控制下挣扎
挣扎 is intransitive; you struggle *against* or *in* something.
Confusing 挣扎 with 奋斗 in a graduation speech. → 我们要为未来而奋斗。
挣扎 sounds like you are suffering, while 奋斗 sounds like you are striving for success.

Dicas

The 'Hand' Connection

Both characters have the hand radical. Visualize someone using their hands to push away problems.

Avoid Positivity

Never use 挣扎 for 'I am struggling to win the trophy' unless you are about to lose and are desperate.

The Second Tone

Remember 'zhá' rises like your effort rising during a struggle.

Verb + 着

Using '挣扎着' before another verb is the most common way to describe 'struggling to do something'.

Choose 纠结 for Small Things

If you are just undecided about a movie, use 纠结, not 挣扎.

Social Struggle

In news, look for '在...中挣扎' to describe groups of people in trouble.

Stroke Order

The 'hand' radical is always written first on the left.

Master 垂死挣扎

This is a very common idiom in historical and political contexts.

Tone Distinction

Listen for the 1st tone 'zhēng' to distinguish it from 'zhèng' (earn).

Literary Flair

Use 挣扎 in your writing to add emotional weight and drama to a character's situation.

Memorize

Mnemônico

The left part of both characters (扌) is the 'hand' radical. This reminds you that a struggle (挣扎) usually involves hands fighting or moving to get free.

Associação visual

Imagine a hand (扌) trying to grab a fish (the middle of 挣) that is trying to swim away, and a hand (扌) holding a needle (扎) that is poking through something.

Word Web

苦苦挣扎内心挣扎生死挣扎挣扎求生拼命挣扎垂死挣扎挣扎着起床无力挣扎

Desafio

Try to write a sentence describing a time you had to '挣扎' to make a difficult choice.

Origem da palavra

The word is composed of two characters: 挣 (zhēng) and 扎 (zhá). 挣 originally meant to pull or to exert strength (often related to earning money or freeing oneself). 扎 originally meant to prick, pierce, or tie up.

Significado original: The combination describes the physical movement of someone who is tied up or stuck, trying to pull away or pierce through their constraints.

Sino-Tibetan / Chinese.

Contexto cultural

Be careful when using 挣扎 to describe someone's career; if you say they are '挣扎', it implies they are failing, not just working hard.

English speakers might use 'struggle' for both positive and negative things. In Chinese, remember that 挣扎 is almost always for difficult or painful situations.

Lu Xun's stories often depict the 挣扎 of the old Chinese society. The phrase '垂死挣扎' is commonly used in historical war movies. Contemporary 'Bitter Literature' (伤痕文学) focuses heavily on the 挣扎 of individuals.

Pratique na vida real

Contextos reais

Natural Disasters

在洪水中挣扎
废墟下的挣扎
挣扎求生
拼命挣扎

Business/Economy

在破产边缘挣扎
经济挣扎
苦苦挣扎
垂死挣扎

Personal Emotion

内心挣扎
痛苦的挣扎
情感挣扎
经过一番挣扎

Health/Medical

在病痛中挣扎
死亡线上的挣扎
挣扎着呼吸
无力挣扎

Daily Life

挣扎着起床
挣扎着完成作业
为生活挣扎
不断挣扎

Iniciadores de conversa

"你曾经有过非常激烈的内心挣扎吗？"

"面对困难时，你通常会选择挣扎还是放弃？"

"你觉得现在的年轻人是不是都在为了生活而挣扎？"

"你早上起床的时候会感到挣扎吗？"

"你如何看待那些在困境中不断挣扎的人？"

Temas para diário

描述一次你必须在两个困难的选择之间进行挣扎的经历。

你认为‘挣扎’在人的一生中扮演了什么样的角色？

写一段关于一个小动物在自然界中挣扎生存的故事。

当你感到内心挣扎时，你会用什么方法让自己平静下来？

分析一个你读过的文学作品中，主角所经历的挣扎。

Perguntas frequentes

10 perguntas

Generally, no. It almost always carries a connotation of pain, difficulty, or desperation. For positive striving, use '奋斗' (fèndòu).

纠结 (jiūjié) is for when you are 'torn' about small things (like what to eat). 挣扎 (zhēngzhá) is for serious, painful internal conflicts.

It is primarily a verb, but it can act as a noun (e.g., 'a period of struggle' - 一番挣扎).

You can say '挣扎着呼吸' (zhēngzházhe hūxī).

No, it is often used metaphorically for a business, a political party, or an idea that is about to fail.

It sounds a bit too dramatic in Chinese. It's better to say '这个作业对我来说很难' or '我在努力做作业'.

It means 'inner struggle' or 'mental conflict,' describing a difficult decision-making process.

Yes, 'zhēng' is 1st tone and 'zhá' is 2nd tone. If you change the tone of 'zhēng', it might mean 'to earn' (zhèng).

Yes, it is very common in literature and news reports to describe social or personal hardships.

The 'hand' radical (扌, shǒu) is used in both characters, indicating physical action.

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