Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== jìngzhēnglì: 竞争力 - Competitiveness, Competitive Strength ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** 竞争力, jingzhengli, Chinese competitiveness, competitive strength in Chinese, how to say competitive in Chinese, business Chinese, HSK 5 vocabulary, China competition, improve competitiveness, core competency * **Summary:** Discover the meaning of **竞争力 (jìngzhēnglì)**, a crucial term in modern Chinese for "competitiveness" or "competitive strength." This page breaks down the characters, explores its deep cultural significance in China's high-stakes environment, and provides practical examples for business, education, and personal development. Learn how to use **竞争力** to describe the competitive power of a person, company, or country, making it an essential concept for understanding contemporary Chinese society and its drive for success. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** jìng zhēng lì * **Part of Speech:** Noun * **HSK Level:** HSK 5 * **Concise Definition:** The ability and power to compete successfully; competitiveness. * **In a Nutshell:** **竞争力 (jìngzhēnglì)** literally translates to "competition power." It's formed by combining **竞争 (jìngzhēng)**, meaning "competition," with **力 (lì)**, meaning "strength" or "power." Think of it as a measurable attribute that determines how well someone or something can succeed when pitted against others. It's not just about wanting to win; it's about having the objective skills, resources, and advantages to do so. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **竞 (jìng):** To compete, to vie. This character depicts two figures (originally two 'person' radicals) under a character for speaking (言), suggesting a vocal contest or rivalry. It captures the essence of striving against another. * **争 (zhēng):** To contend, to fight for, to strive. The character shows a hand (爪 at the top) trying to grab something (represented by the lower part), vividly illustrating the act of contending for a resource or position. * **力 (lì):** Power, strength, force. This is a pictograph of a plow, a tool requiring great strength to use. It's one of the most fundamental characters for any kind of power or ability. These three characters combine to create a very direct and potent term: the **power (力)** to engage in **competition (竞争)**. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== In modern China, **竞争力 (jìngzhēnglì)** is more than just a business buzzword; it's a pervasive social concept that shapes lives from a very young age. It reflects the intense, high-pressure environment of a nation undergoing rapid development. A useful comparison is to the Western concept of a "competitive edge." While similar, **竞争力** carries a much broader and more profound societal weight in China. In the West, a "competitive edge" is often a strategic advantage sought by businesses or ambitious individuals. In China, **竞争力** is seen as a fundamental requirement for survival and success in nearly every domain: * **Education:** Students face immense pressure to build their **竞争力** for the notoriously difficult college entrance exam, the **高考 (gāokǎo)**. * **Career:** The job market is incredibly fierce, and individuals must constantly upgrade their skills to maintain their personal **竞争力**. * **Nationalism:** On a macro level, the media and government constantly speak of improving China's national **竞争力 (国家竞争力)** on the global stage. This relentless focus on **竞争力** is a direct product of China's post-reform era, marking a shift from collectivist security to a more market-driven reality where individuals and companies must constantly prove their worth. It is the engine of both incredible innovation and significant personal stress. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== **竞争力** is a slightly formal but extremely common noun used in a variety of serious contexts. It's always used to measure an entity's ability to succeed against rivals. **//In Business//** Companies constantly analyze their **核心竞争力 (héxīn jìngzhēnglì)**, or "core competitiveness." A manager might ask, "What is our main competitive advantage in this market?" (我们在这个市场上的主要竞争力是什么？). **//In Personal Development//** A young professional might say they are taking an English course to "increase their personal competitiveness" (**提高个人竞争力**). It's tied directly to employability and career advancement. **//In Technology and Economics//** News reports and academic papers will frequently discuss a city's or a country's **竞争力**. For example, you might read a headline like, "Shenzhen's Technological Competitiveness Ranks First in the Nation." The connotation is almost always neutral-to-positive. Having high **竞争力** is a desirable state, while lacking it is a problem that needs to be urgently addressed. ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 我们公司必须提高产品的**竞争力**。 * Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī bìxū tígāo chǎnpǐn de **jìngzhēnglì**. * English: Our company must improve our products' competitiveness. * Analysis: A classic business usage. **竞争力** here is an attribute of the "product" (产品). * **Example 2:** * 在这个时代，没有大学文凭会让你失去**竞争力**。 * Pinyin: Zài zhège shídài, méiyǒu dàxué wénpíng huì ràng nǐ shīqù **jìngzhēnglì**. * English: In this era, not having a university diploma will cause you to lose competitiveness. * Analysis: This sentence highlights the term's use in personal career development and the high value placed on education. * **Example 3:** * 学习第二语言是增强个人**竞争力**的好方法。 * Pinyin: Xuéxí dì-èr yǔyán shì zēngqiáng gèrén **jìngzhēnglì** de hǎo fāngfǎ. * English: Learning a second language is a good way to enhance personal competitiveness. * Analysis: Here, **竞争力** is treated as a personal asset that can be "enhanced" (增强). * **Example 4:** * 这家初创公司的核心**竞争力**是它的创新技术。 * Pinyin: Zhè jiā chuàngyè gōngsī de héxīn **jìngzhēnglì** shì tā de chuàngxīn jìshù. * English: This startup's core competitiveness is its innovative technology. * Analysis: Introduces the very common phrase **核心竞争力 (héxīn jìngzhēnglì)**, meaning "core competency" or "core competitive advantage." * **Example 5:** * 由于成本太高，我们的价格没有**竞争力**。 * Pinyin: Yóuyú chéngběn tài gāo, wǒmen de jiàgé méiyǒu **jìngzhēnglì**. * English: Because the costs are too high, our price has no competitiveness (i.e., is not competitive). * Analysis: A common way to express that something is *not* competitive is with **没有 (méiyǒu) + 竞争力**. * **Example 6:** * 政府出台新政策以提升国家的经济**竞争力**。 * Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ chūtái xīn zhèngcè yǐ tíshēng guójiā de jīngjì **jìngzhēnglì**. * English: The government introduced new policies in order to boost the nation's economic competitiveness. * Analysis: Shows the term used on a national, macroeconomic scale. * **Example 7:** * 他的**竞争力**主要体现在他的人脉关系上。 * Pinyin: Tā de **jìngzhēnglì** zhǔyào tǐxiàn zài tā de rénmài guānxì shàng. * English: His competitiveness is mainly reflected in his social connections (guanxi). * Analysis: This sentence links **竞争力** to another key cultural concept, [[关系 (guānxi)]], showing that competitiveness isn't just about hard skills. * **Example 8:** * 如何评估一个城市的**竞争力**？ * Pinyin: Rúhé pínggū yí ge chéngshì de **jìngzhēnglì**? * English: How does one evaluate a city's competitiveness? * Analysis: Demonstrates the use of the term in a question, often found in academic or strategic discussions. * **Example 9:** * 这项新规定削弱了本土企业的**竞争力**。 * Pinyin: Zhè xiàng xīn guīdìng xuēruòle běntǔ qǐyè de **jìngzhēnglì**. * English: This new regulation has weakened the competitiveness of domestic enterprises. * Analysis: Shows the opposite of "enhancing" (提高/增强) which is "weakening" (削弱). * **Example 10:** * 保持**竞争力**意味着要不断学习和适应。 * Pinyin: Bǎochí **jìngzhēnglì** yìwèizhe yào búduàn xuéxí hé shìyìng. * English: Maintaining competitiveness means you have to constantly learn and adapt. * Analysis: A philosophical sentence that captures the modern pressure associated with this term. "Maintaining" is **保持 (bǎochí)**. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **Mistake 1: Using it as an adjective.** English speakers often want to say "a competitive price" and incorrectly translate it as "一个竞争力价格." **竞争力** is a noun, not an adjective. * **Incorrect:** 这个价格很**竞争力**。(Zhège jiàgé hěn **jìngzhēnglì**.) * **Correct (lit. "has competitiveness"):** 这个价格很**有竞争力**。(Zhège jiàgé hěn **yǒu jìngzhēnglì**.) * **Correct (using the adjective form):** 这个价格很**有竞争性**。(Zhège jiàgé hěn **yǒu jìngzhēng xìng**.) * **False Friend: "Competitive" personality.** **竞争力** refers to objective strength, not a person's desire to win. To describe a person who loves to compete and win (a "competitive person"), you should use the adjective **好胜 (hàoshèng)**. * "He is a very competitive person." * **Incorrect:** 他是一个很有**竞争力**的人。(Tā shì yí ge hěn yǒu **jìngzhēnglì** de rén.) - This means he is a person with strong competitive advantages (e.g., highly skilled, great resume), not that he has a competitive personality. * **Correct:** 他是一个很**好胜**的人。(Tā shì yí ge hěn **hàoshèng** de rén.) ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * [[竞争]] (jìngzhēng) - The root word meaning "competition" or the verb "to compete." **竞争力** is the power required for **竞争**. * [[优势]] (yōushì) - Advantage, superiority. A company's advantages (优势) are the source of its competitiveness (竞争力). * [[劣势]] (lièshì) - Disadvantage, inferiority. The direct antonym of **优势**. * [[实力]] (shílì) - Actual strength, power. A broader term than **竞争力**. A person can have great artistic **实力** (strength/skill), which may or may not translate to **竞争力** in the job market. * [[能力]] (nénglì) - Ability, capability. The general term for "ability." **竞争力** is a specific type of **能力** applied in a competitive context. * [[好胜]] (hàoshèng) - (Adjective) Eager to win, competitive as a personality trait. Describes a person's character, not their objective market value. * [[淘汰]] (táotài) - To eliminate through competition, to be "weeded out." This is the fate of individuals or companies that lack **竞争力**. * [[内卷]] (nèijuǎn) - "Involution." A popular modern slang term describing a rat race of intense, zero-sum competition where the standards keep getting higher but no one actually benefits. It's often seen as the negative, exhausting side effect of the national obsession with **竞争力**.