jìngzhēnglì: 竞争力 - Competitiveness, Competitive Strength

• 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.

• 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.

• 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).

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.

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 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).

• 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**.