争气 (zhēngqì) — to do well; to prove oneself; to make someone proud

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他并不是为了迎合家人的期待而争气，而是想证明自己能够独立选择道路。 Tā bìng bú shì wèile yínghé jiārén de qīdài ér zhēngqì, ér shì xiǎng zhèngmíng zìjǐ nénggòu dúlì xuǎnzé dàolù. He is not trying to do well merely to meet his family's expectations, but to prove that he can choose his own path independently.
你一定要争气，别让爸妈失望。 Nǐ yīdìng yào zhēngqì, bié ràng bàmā shīwàng. You must prove yourself and not let your parents down.
他很争气，靠自己的努力开了一家小店。 Tā hěn zhēngqì, kào zìjǐ de nǔlì kāi le yī jiā xiǎo diàn. He worked hard to prove himself and opened a small shop through his own efforts.