<p>Very similar, but 没出息 is way more critical than 不争气.</p>
<p>没出息 is a state/characteristic judging, the kid is worthless in the past, now and probably in the future.</p>
<p>不争气 is usually used under a specific failure, judging the performance or result.</p>
<p>&quot;我真不争气&quot;: I've disappointed you.</p>
<p>&quot;我真没出息&quot;: I am a good-for-nothing.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-01T03:52:05.617Z
Additionally, 不争气 can be used on non-person like your falling stocks or broken computers, whereas it's going to sound weird if you say they're 没出息.
iBug
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-31T16:42:17.610Z
2021-08-31T16:42:17.610Z
sfy
<p>Very similar. If I were to translate,</p>
<p>这孩子真没出息</p>
<p>This kid will never amount to anything.</p>
<p>这孩子真不争气</p>
<p>This kid will never do me (or himself/herself) proud.</p>
<p>不争气 carries a hint of affecting others and/or comparing with others whereas 没出息 is just about the kid.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-31T16:16:24.107Z
2021-08-31T16:16:24.107Z
monalisa
<p>没出息 - A person who is deemed mentally weak, physically useless, can't do anything right or chose the right path, and has no chance/willingness to be excel. (一般用於責備男子和男孩. 被指責的人多被視為懦弱無能, 或不學無術, 不具備致富達貴的條件).</p>
<p>不争气 - A (young) person whose performance is not up to the expectation of being the lead or ahead of his peers. (中國人好面子. 兒女不高人一等就覺得沒面子, 此等人多會責怪子女不能替父母爭口氣. 中國人又云, 人有&quot;精&quot;,&quot;氣&quot;,&quot;神&quot;, 只有三者兼備一個人才無缺憾. 可見兒女爭氣是要事, 是父母的福氣和快樂喜悅的來源.)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-31T17:09:19.003Z
2021-08-31T17:09:19.003Z
r13
<p>没出息 is result. </p>
不争气 is process. </p></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-01T12:12:31.147Z
It depends on context. This is just one possible situation, but there could be more different usage.
hpwww
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-01T02:13:12.327Z
2021-09-01T02:13:12.327Z
Ming Tong
<p>Not the same.</p>
<p>不争气 means I want him be great but he is not.</p>
<p>没出息 means He is not good.contempt.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-01T01:11:56.477Z
2021-09-01T01:11:56.477Z
daotian
<p>Let's look at what 争气 and 出息 mean</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BA%89%E6%B0%94/32934" rel="nofollow noreferrer">争气</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>①指将要死去的人不愿断了最后一口气，②指被别人看不起时取得了好成绩。</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>①Refers to a dying man refuse to give up breathing ，②Achive success when being counted out</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>In other words, &quot;show one's own worth/ make oneself proud&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%87%BA%E6%81%AF" rel="nofollow noreferrer">出息</a>: 前景或志向。Prospects or ambitions</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><p>不争气 --&gt; not show one's own worth/ not make oneself proud --&gt; underachieving</p>
</li>
<li><p>没出息 --&gt; no prospects or ambitions --&gt; underachieving</p>
</li>
<li><p>不争气 usually describe a specific failure, e.g. 馬兒不争气跑了個倒數第一 (the horse I bet on didn't show its worth, it finished last  --&gt;  it underachieved)</p>
</li>
<li><p>没出息  is mostly used to describe general failure due to lack of ability or motivation --&gt; someone is underachieving</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>If a kid 不争气, can't get into college this year, he can try next year</p>
<p>If a man is 没出息, can't hold on to any job for long, he will probably be like that for the rest of his life</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-31T18:38:21.053Z
2021-08-31T18:46:42.887Z
2021-08-31T18:46:42.887Z
Tang Ho
<p>These two phrases are often seen in everyday conversations,for example,这孩子真没出息,这孩子真不争气, roughly meaning this child is useless, this child is not good, but I am not sure whether these two phrases are similar in meaning。</p>

<difference><word>
Is 不争气 same as 没出息?
# Is 不争气 same as 没出息?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-08-31)

These two phrases are often seen in everyday conversations,for example,这孩子真没出息,这孩子真不争气, roughly meaning this child is useless, this child is not good, but I am not sure whether these two phrases are similar in meaning。

**Tags:** difference, word

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## 6 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-08-31. Score: 4

Very similar, but 没出息 is way more critical than 不争气.

没出息 is a state/characteristic judging, the kid is worthless in the past, now and probably in the future.

不争气 is usually used under a specific failure, judging the performance or result.

"我真不争气": I've disappointed you.

"我真没出息": I am a good-for-nothing.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Additionally, 不争气 can be used on non-person like your falling stocks or broken computers, whereas it's going to sound weird if you say they're 没出息.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-08-31. Score: 2

Very similar. If I were to translate,

这孩子真没出息

This kid will never amount to anything.

这孩子真不争气

This kid will never do me (or himself/herself) proud.

不争气 carries a hint of affecting others and/or comparing with others whereas 没出息 is just about the kid.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2021-08-31. Score: 2

没出息 - A person who is deemed mentally weak, physically useless, can't do anything right or chose the right path, and has no chance/willingness to be excel. (一般用於責備男子和男孩. 被指責的人多被視為懦弱無能, 或不學無術, 不具備致富達貴的條件).

不争气 - A (young) person whose performance is not up to the expectation of being the lead or ahead of his peers. (中國人好面子. 兒女不高人一等就覺得沒面子, 此等人多會責怪子女不能替父母爭口氣. 中國人又云, 人有"精","氣","神", 只有三者兼備一個人才無缺憾. 可見兒女爭氣是要事, 是父母的福氣和快樂喜悅的來源.)


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### Answer by username_5 on 2021-09-01. Score: 1

没出息 is result.

不争气 is process.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: It depends on context. This is just one possible situation, but there could be more different usage.  

---

### Answer by username_7 on 2021-09-01. Score: 1

Not the same.

不争气 means I want him be great but he is not.

没出息 means He is not good.contempt.


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### Answer by username_8 on 2021-08-31. Score: 1

Let's look at what 争气 and 出息 mean

> [争气](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BA%89%E6%B0%94/32934)

> ①指将要死去的人不愿断了最后一口气，②指被别人看不起时取得了好成绩。

> ①Refers to a dying man refuse to give up breathing ，②Achive success when being counted out

> In other words, "show one's own worth/ make oneself proud"

~

> [出息](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%87%BA%E6%81%AF): 前景或志向。Prospects or ambitions

* 不争气 --> not show one's own worth/ not make oneself proud --> underachieving
* 没出息 --> no prospects or ambitions --> underachieving
* 不争气 usually describe a specific failure, e.g. 馬兒不争气跑了個倒數第一 (the horse I bet on didn't show its worth, it finished last --> it underachieved)
* 没出息 is mostly used to describe general failure due to lack of ability or motivation --> someone is underachieving

If a kid 不争气, can't get into college this year, he can try next year

If a man is 没出息, can't hold on to any job for long, he will probably be like that for the rest of his life


---

