争端

• Pinyin: zhēng duān
• Hanzi breakdown: 争 = 爫 + 彐 (contention); 端 = 立 + 山 + 而 (upright point — the crux of a matter)

Meaning

A dispute; a point of contention between parties. A formal conflict requiring resolution.

Used in formal, legal, diplomatic, and academic contexts. Common collocations include 领土争端 (territorial dispute), 贸易争端 (trade dispute), and 解决争端 (resolve a dispute).

Examples

1. 两国之间的领土争端持续了数十年之久。 The territorial dispute between the two countries has lasted for decades.
2. 仲裁庭将对这起商业争端作出最终裁决。 The arbitration tribunal will issue a final ruling on this commercial dispute.
3. 双方通过谈判成功化解了长期存在的劳资争端。 Through negotiations, both sides successfully resolved the long-standing labor dispute.

Usage Guide

Context: diplomacy, law, business

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 国际法院受理了这起边界争端案件。(The International Court of Justice accepted this border dispute case.)
• 公司内部的股权争端最终诉诸法律解决。(The internal equity dispute in the company was ultimately resolved through legal means.)

Don't Say

• 我和朋友有争端 — too formal for personal disagreements; use 我和朋友有分歧 (have differences) or 发生了矛盾 (had a conflict)

Origin & History

争 (contend/dispute) + 端 (end/point — the point of conflict)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal