争

to strive for / to vie for / to argue or debate / deficient or lacking (dialect) / how or what (literary)

争 = ⺈ + 肀 : Mnemonic symbol: The grim reaper, as 争 is often used in words involving war (...战争). In front of the engine ((e)ng1), the grim reaper (争) marks his next victims in passing. With a crayon (肀) he draws big "X"s on the crane (⺈) and James II of England (zh).

争 character breakdown

争
- ⺈
- 肀

⺈

Character component without intrinsic meaning

I think this looks like a crane; to the left is its wing, and to the right its head.

肀

Character component without intrinsic meaning

Aphrodite tags the space station's bathroom using her crayon.

Characters with 争 as component

净

淨

jìng = ji + (e)ng4

clean / completely / only / net (income, exports etc) / (Chinese opera) painted face male role

净 = 争 + 冫 : The grim reaper (争) is very annoyed by Joan of Arc (ji) eating popsicle after popsicle (冫) in the engine's bathroom ((e)ng4). She does not take care at all and repeatedly messes up the floor which the grim reaper has to clean (净) again and again.

净

凈

jìng = ji + (e)ng4

variant of 淨|净[jing4]

静

靜

jìng = ji + (e)ng4

still / calm / quiet / not moving

静 = 争 + 青 : Joan of Arc meets the grim reaper in the engine's bathroom. She is scared to death and does not dare to move, so she stands extremely quiet. This time, the grim reaper did not come for her; he just wants to drink from the fountain of youth, which is located in the engine's bathroom.

挣

掙

zhèng = zh + (e)ng4

to struggle to get free / to strive to acquire / to make (money)

挣 = 争 + 扌 : The grim reaper (争) comes to the engine's bathroom ((e)ng4) to take James II of England (zh) with him. James II of England struggles (挣) to get free, but the grim reaper tightly grabs his back with a toy claw (扌).

挣

掙

zhe̅ng = zh + (e)ng1

used in 掙扎|挣扎[zheng1 zha2]

筝

箏

zhe̅ng = zh + (e)ng1

guzheng or long zither / long zither with 13 to 16 strings, developed from guqin 古琴 during Tang and Song times / Japanese koto

睁

睜

zhe̅ng = zh + (e)ng1

to open (one's eyes)

睁 = 争 + 目 : The eye of providence (目) dressed like the grim reaper (争) and shocked James II of England (zh) in front of the engine ((e)ng1). Now James doesn't want to open his eyes (睁) so he doesn't have to see the grim reaper. The eye of providence can't even convince him to open his eyes and look at him to see that it was just a prank.

铮

錚

zhe̅ng = zh + (e)ng1

clang of metals / small gong

峥

崢

zhe̅ng = zh + (e)ng1

excel / lofty

浄

jìng = ji + (e)ng4

Japanese variant of 淨|净

诤