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争先恐后 (zhēng xiān kǒng hòu) — to vie with each other; to outdo one another (in doing something)

Definition

A vivid 成语 meaning 'to scramble to be first, each afraid to be last' — everyone rushing to act before others. Used adverbially as 争先恐后地 + verb, like the examples 争先恐后地提问 and 争先恐后地赶来.

phrase
to vie with each otherto outdo one another (in doing something)

Examples

  • 争先恐后。
    Hái zi men zhēng xiān kǒng hòu dì pǎo chū jiào shì.
    The children ran out of the classroom, trying to be first.
  • 争先恐后。
    Jì zhě men zhēng xiān kǒng hòu dì tí wèn.
    The reporters vied to ask questions.
  • ，争先恐后。
    Bào míng yì kāi shǐ, dà jiā jiù zhēng xiān kǒng hòu dì gǎn lái.
    As soon as registration started, everyone rushed to get there first.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

争先strive to be first
争zhēngstrive先xiānfirst
动宾Verb + object
恐后fear being last
恐kǒngfear后hòulast
动宾Verb + object

争先恐后 joins 争先, strive to be first, with 恐后, fear being last, so it describes vying to outdo others.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 爭; 争 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 爭 shows two hands on a plowshare; the simplified 争 is a later abbreviation, so this picture belongs to 爭, not 争.

Open 争 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

先 combines 止 (foot) and 儿 (person) to show someone moving forward.

Open 先 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢀜
𢀜𢀜恐kǒng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

恐 is written with 心 (heart). The older form pairs 心 with 𢀜; the modern form can be read as 巩 above 心.

Open 恐 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 後; 后 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 後 showed 夊 (foot) bound by 幺 (thread), a foot caught by a rope and lagging behind; the simplified 后 is a later abbreviation, and 后 also has a different meaning.

Open 后 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Idioms & Set Phrases

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