你争我夺 (nǐ zhēng wǒ duó) — (idiom) to contend fiercely with one another; to vie desperately for something

Definition

A vivid four-character idiom for fierce, mutual competition — everyone grabbing and snatching at the same thing. Paints a picture of unrestrained rivalry, stronger than the plain verb 竞争.

idiom
to contend fiercely with one anotherto vie desperately for something

Examples

  • 你争我夺，。
    Zài nǐ zhēng wǒ duó de jìng zhēng zhōng, tā men wǎng wǎng hū shì le hé zuò de zhòng yào xìng.
    In the fierce competition of everyone trying to outdo each other, they often overlook the importance of cooperation.
  • ，你争我夺，。
    Wèi le yí gè zhí wèi, liǎng rén nǐ zhēng wǒ duó, guān xì nào dé hěn jiāng.
    The two of them fought tooth and nail over one position, straining their relationship badly.
  • 你争我夺，。
    Shì chǎng shàng gè gè pǐn pái nǐ zhēng wǒ duó, dōu xiǎng yíng dé gèng duō xiāo fèi zhě.
    In the marketplace all brands are vying fiercely with each other, each trying to win over more consumers.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

你争you contend
你nǐyou争zhēngcontend
主谓Subject + predicate
我夺I seize
我wǒI夺duóseize
主谓Subject + predicate

你争 is you contend, and 我夺 is I seize, so together they describe vying fiercely with one another.

Characters in this word

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
尔
尔ěr你nǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 亻 is a person, and the right part 尔 supplies the sound.

Open 你 →

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 →

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

The glyph 我 originally drew a trident-like weapon. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write the pronoun "I", so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 我 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 奪; 夺 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 奪 includes 又 (a hand), 雀 (a bird), and 衣 (clothing), showing a hand seizing a bird from someone; the simplified 夺 is a later abbreviation.

Open 夺 →

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