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挣扎 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
挣扎zhēngzháto struggleHSK 7, v, 13 strokes, rank #3661, Very Hard
zhēngzhá(zheng1zha2)zheng zha T1
  1. 1to struggle
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March 24, 2026

挣扎(掙扎)zhēngzhá(zheng1zha2)

挣扎 (zhèngzhá) means to struggle, often in a physical or metaphorical sense. It can refer to battling against a difficult situation, such as financial hardship or emotional distress, and is commonly used in contexts where someone is fighting to overcome challenges.

Strokes13Frequency#3661DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of struggle is often associated with the idea of '不屈不挠' (unyielding), reflecting a value placed on perseverance and resilience in the face of hardship, which resonates with traditional narratives of overcoming adversity.

Memory tip

Imagine a person (the character's left side '挣' looks like a person) struggling to break free from a tight rope (the right side '扎' suggests being tied up). The pronunciation 'zheng1 zha2' can be remembered as 'Zhang is trying to break free!'

Meanings of 挣扎

zhēngzhá(zheng1zha2)
1to struggle
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 挣扎

挣扎Simplified
掙扎Traditional
13Strokes
—Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#3661Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 挣扎

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Podcast: 挣扎

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AI study notes for 挣扎

Quick Contrast

挣扎 (zhēngzhá) vs 斗争 (dòuzhēng): choose 挣扎 when emphasizing personal or emotional struggle, while 斗争 focuses more on collective or ideological conflict.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include using '挣扎' in overly casual contexts, as it can carry a serious tone. Be careful with tone; '挣扎' has a first tone and a second tone, and mispronouncing either can lead to confusion. It often collocates with words like '生活' (life) or '困境' (predicament).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 6 word, '挣扎' connects with other words about conflict and perseverance, such as '奋斗' (strive) and '抗争' (resist). Students should focus on the nuances of struggle in different contexts and how to use this word in both written and spoken Chinese.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse '挣扎' with '挣' (to earn) due to their similar beginnings; for example, saying '我挣扎赚钱' (I struggle to earn money) instead of '我挣扎着赚钱' (I am struggling to earn money). Another mistake is using it too lightly, as the word carries a weighty connotation.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 挣扎

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Component characters

挣zhèngto struggle to get free
HSK 59 strokes扌
View full entry
扎zāto prick
HSK 64 strokes扌
View full entry

How to say to struggle in Chinese

“to struggle” in Chinese is挣扎zhēngzhá

挣扎 (zhèngzhá) means to struggle, often in a physical or metaphorical sense. It can refer to battling against a difficult situation, such as financial hardship or emotional distress, and is commonly used in contexts where someone is fighting to overcome challenges.

When to use 挣扎

Common mistakes include using '挣扎' in overly casual contexts, as it can carry a serious tone. Be careful with tone; '挣扎' has a first tone and a second tone, and mispronouncing either can lead to confusion. It often collocates with words like '生活' (life) or '困境' (predicament).

挣扎 or something close to it

挣扎 (zhēngzhá) vs 斗争 (dòuzhēng): choose 挣扎 when emphasizing personal or emotional struggle, while 斗争 focuses more on collective or ideological conflict.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse '挣扎' with '挣' (to earn) due to their similar beginnings; for example, saying '我挣扎赚钱' (I struggle to earn money) instead of '我挣扎着赚钱' (I am struggling to earn money). Another mistake is using it too lightly, as the word carries a weighty connotation.

Write 挣扎

挣
扎

Practice writing 挣扎 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar patterns of 挣扎

挣扎 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

乔治疯狂地____，不断在水面上浮浮沉沉。

George struggled wildly, going under and resurfacing at regular intervals.

Example sentences for 挣扎 (10)

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1
乔治疯狂地挣扎，不断在水面上浮浮沉沉。

qiáo zhì fēngkuáng dì zhēngzhá， búduàn zài shuǐmiàn shàng fú fú chén chén。

George struggled wildly, going under and resurfacing at regular intervals.
2
那条鱼在被捕到网里之前整整挣扎了20分钟，真是不可思议。

nà tiáo yú zài bèibǔ dào wǎng lǐ zhīqián zhěngzhěng zhēngzhá le20 fēnzhōng， zhēnshi bùkěsīyì。

The fish put up a spectacular 20 minute struggle before being netted.
3
我挣扎着穿上浴衣，踉跄地下了楼。

wǒ zhēngzhá zhe chuānshang yù yī， liáng qiāng dìxià le lóu。

I struggled into a bathrobe and staggered down the stairs.
4
他们只好挣扎着穿过厚厚的泥巴去找建筑工人。

tāmen zhǐhǎo zhēngzhá zhe chuānguò hòu hòu de ní Bā qù zhǎo jiànzhù gōngrén。

They had to battle through thick mud to reach construction workers.
5
他描述了被俘4个月里挣扎求生的艰难岁月。

tā miáoshù le bèi fú4 gè yuè lǐ zhēngzhá qiú shēng de jiānnán suìyuè。

He described the difficulties of surviving for four months as a captive.
6
在多愁善感的心理学呓语之下，一部本有可能受到喜爱的电影挣扎欲出。

zài duō chóu shàn gǎn de xīnlǐ xué yì yǔ zhīxià， yī bù běn yǒu kěnéng shòudào xǐ’ài de diànyǐng zhēngzhá yù chū。

Beneath the sentimental psychobabble, there's a likeable movie trying to get out.
7
我使劲挣扎，但他又高又壮。

wǒ shǐjìn zhēngzhá， dàn tā yòu gāo yòu zhuàng。

I struggled, but he was a tall man, well-built.
8
这只猫挣扎着想跑掉.

zhè zhī māo zhēngzhá zhuóxiǎng pǎo diào.

The cat made a struggle to get free.
9
人马都在大路边的深雪中挣扎着.

rén mǎ dōu zài dà lùbiān de shēn xuě zhōng zhēngzhá zhe.

Men and horses were floundering in the deep snow beside the road.
10
兔子掉到了一棵无花果树的空树干里, 怎么挣扎也出不去.

tùzi diào dào le yī kē wú huā guǒshù de kōng shùgàn lǐ, zěnme zhēngzhá yě chū bù qù.

The rabbit tires and falls, landing inside the hollow trunk of a sycamore tree, where he is trapped.

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Frequently asked questions about 挣扎

While '挣扎' usually implies difficulty, it can sometimes be used positively to describe someone fighting to improve their situation.

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