掙

掙 (Kangxi radical 64, 手+8, 11 strokes, cangjie input 手月尸木 (QBSD), four-corner 5205₇, composition ⿰扌爭)

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 438, character 3
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 12265
• Dae Jaweon: page 788, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): not present, would follow volume 3, page 1901, character 2
• Unihan data for U+6399

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声) : semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 爭.

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

掙

1. to struggle to get free

   掙扎／挣扎  ―  zhēngzhā  ―  to struggle

   掙斷繩索／挣断绳索  ―  zhèng duàn shéngsuǒ  ―  to break oneself free from a rope

   • 那獃子左掙右掙，掙不得脫手。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     那獃子左挣右挣，挣不得脱手。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wu Cheng'en, Journey to the West, 16^th century CE

     Nà dāizi zuǒ zhèng yòu zhèng, zhèng bù dé tuōshǒu. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. to struggle to support
3. to earn; to make

   掙面子／挣面子  ―  zhèng miànzi  ―  to earn "face" from others

   你每個月掙多少錢？ [MSC, trad.]
   你每个月挣多少钱？ [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ měi ge yuè zhèng duōshao qián? [Pinyin]

   How much do you make each month?

4. to hold open (with force)

• (to earn):

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• “掙”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

1. to wrench open
2. to ((force)) with all one's might

• On (unclassified): そう (sō); しょう (shō)
• Kun: さす (sasu)

掙: Hán Nôm readings: tránh, giành

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.