比賽 / 比赛
bǐsài
The English word 'race' (meaning a contest) is translated into Chinese as 比賽 / 比赛 (bǐsài). Wiktionary also lists 競賽 / 竞赛 (jìngsài).
Meaning: contest (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 比賽 / 比赛 | bǐsài |
| 競賽 / 竞赛 | jìngsài |
In a general context, 比賽 / 比赛 is the standard way to refer to a race, such as a running race. If you are looking for the verb meaning to move or drive at high speed, you would use 飛馳 / 飞驰 or 疾馳 / 疾驰 instead.
Which one should you use?
While both terms refer to a contest, 競賽 / 竞赛 is more formal than 比賽 / 比赛 and is often used to describe organized competitions or contests involving skill or speed.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 比賽 / 比赛 is versatile and can function as both a noun, meaning a race or competition and a verb, meaning to race or to compete.
How do you pronounce it?
bǐsài
Did you know?
- When people 'race' to do something in a non-sporting context, they often use the word 搶, which means 'to grab' or 'to snatch'.
- The character 比 / 比 in 比賽 / 比赛 originally depicted two people standing side-by-side to compare their height or strength.
- If you want to describe a 'race' in the sense of a 'racial group', you must use completely different words like 種族 / 种族, as 比賽 / 比赛 only refers to competitive events.
Examples in context
- 他们的研究主要关注不同种族间的文化差异。Their research primarily focuses on cultural differences among different races.
- 这个城市有来自五大洲的不同人种。This city has people from different races from all five continents.
- 他对澳大利亚的族裔多样性很感兴趣。He is interested in the ethnic diversity of Australia.
- 肤色不同并不代表我们有差异。Different skin colors do not mean we have differences.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “race” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
