奋起直追 (fèn qǐ zhí zhuī) — to strive hard to catch up (after falling behind)

Definition

A chengyu for 'pulling out all the stops to catch up' after falling behind, implying energetic effort to close a gap rather than steady progress.

idiom
to strive hard to catch up (after falling behind)

Examples

  • ，奋起直追，。
    Suī rán qǐ bù wǎn, dàn tā fèn qǐ zhí zhuī, hěn kuài jiù gǎn shàng le dà jiā.
    Although he started late, he strove hard to catch up and soon caught up with everyone.
  • ，奋起直追，。
    Zài zuì hòu yí gè yuè, tā fèn qǐ zhí zhuī, zhōng yú kǎo shàng le lǐ xiǎng de dà xué.
    In the last month, she worked hard to catch up and finally got into her ideal university.
  • ，奋起直追，。
    Gōng sī yè jì xià huá hòu, tuán duì fèn qǐ zhí zhuī, chóng xīn yíng dé le shì chǎng fèn é.
    After the company's performance declined, the team strove to catch up and regained market share.

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.

奋起rise with effort
奋fènrouse oneself起qǐrise
补充Verb + complement
直追chase straight
直zhístraight追zhuīchase
偏正Modifier + head

奋起 means to rise with effort, and 直追 means to chase straight ahead.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 奮; 奋 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 奮 pairs 奞, a bird, with 田, a field, to show a bird spreading its wings to fly; the simplified 奋 is a later abbreviation.

Open 奋 →

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
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì起qǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

起 is made from 走 and 巳: 走 is the part connected with walking or running, and 巳 gives the sound.

Open 起 →

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

The earliest form of 直 pairs 目, an eye, with an unclear stroke 丨.

Open 直 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuòmovement
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂤
𠂤𠂤追zhuī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 辶 part shows movement, while 𠂤 gives the sound, for the sense of moving after or pursuing.

Open 追 →

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