Definition
争气 (zhēng qì) means to bring credit to someone or live up to expectations, often by working hard so as not to disappoint. It differs from 争光 (zhēng guāng) 'to win glory for', which emphasizes achieving public honor, and from 力争 (lì zhēng) 'to strive for', which focuses on fighting for a goal. 争气 is a separable verb (离合词), so it can be split: 争一口气.
verb
to bring credit toto live up to expectationsto work hard so as not to let someone down
Easily confused
- 整齐zhěng qísound-alikeneat, tidy, orderly
- 正气zhèng qìsound-alike(noun) integrity, moral rectitude; healthy atmosphere (in society)
Examples
- 争气，。Tā zhè cì bǐsài hěn zhēng qì, ná le guànjūn.He did well in this competition and won the championship, bringing credit to himself.
- 。Nǐ yídìng yào wèi zánmen xuéxiào zhēng yì kǒu qì.You must win honor for our school.
- 争气，。Tā cóngxiǎo jiù hěn zhēng qì, cónglái méi ràng fùmǔ cāo guo xīn.She has always been a credit to her family and never made her parents worry.
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