挣
掙zhēng
#1,872 most
frequent character
used in 掙扎|挣扎[zheng1 zha2]
Character breakdown
Source: Make Me a Hanzi.
挣 joins 扌, a hand, with 争 zhēng, which means to struggle for something and also supplies the sound. It first meant to hold on or shake something off by force. That grew to struggle or strive, then to earn; zhēng keeps the first sense.
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