竞技

• Pinyin: jìng jì
• Hanzi breakdown: 竞 = two 兄 (brothers) standing together — vying with each other; 技 = 扌(hand) + 支 (branch, phonetic) — a skill of the hand

Meaning

To compete in athletic or skill-based contests; competitive sport.

Refers to competitive performance — in sports, esports, martial arts, or any contest of skill. Used as both a verb (to compete) and an attributive noun (竞技体育 = competitive sports, 竞技场 = arena). The emphasis is on head-to-head competition to determine superiority, not just participation.

Examples

1. 竞技体育需要运动员在巨大的心理压力下发挥出最佳水平。 Competitive sports require athletes to perform at their best under enormous psychological pressure.
2. 电子竞技已被纳入多个国家的正式体育项目，获得了官方认可。 Esports have been included as official sports events in multiple countries, gaining official recognition.
3. 这支队伍在竞技状态上明显优于对手，赢得了观众的掌声。 This team was clearly in better competitive form than their opponents and won the applause of the audience.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, esports, competition

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他的竞技状态非常好，最近连胜三场。(His competitive form is excellent — he has won three consecutive matches recently.)
• 这次竞技比赛汇聚了全国顶尖选手。(This competition gathered top players from across the country.)

Don't Say

• 他们在商场里竞技购物。(竞技 implies formal skill-based competition — not applicable to shopping or casual activities)

Origin & History

竞 (to compete, to vie) + 技 (skill, technique). A modern sports compound: competing through skill. Now extended to esports and other competitive fields in the digital age.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal