争分夺秒

zhēng fēn duó miǎo

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Rare

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Definitions

1. lit. fight minutes, snatch seconds (idiom); a race against time
2. making every second count

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Word relationships

Related words

2 items

• 快马加鞭 kuài mǎ jiā biān 快马加鞭 kuài mǎ jiā biān to spur the horse to full speed (idiom) Literally to spur on a fast horse, meaning to hurry up.: to spur the horse to full speed (idiom)
• 抓紧时间 zhuā jǐn shí jiān 抓紧时间 zhuā jǐn shí jiān to snatch time A more literal phrase meaning to grasp time tightly.: to snatch time

Synonyms

1 item

• 分秒必争 fēn miǎo bì zhēng 分秒必争 fēn miǎo bì zhēng seize every minute and second (idiom); not a minute to lose Both mean making use of every moment.: seize every minute and second (idiom); not a minute to lose

Usage notes

Collocations

Often used with 必须 or 要 to express urgency: 我们必须争分夺秒地工作。

Example Sentences

1 shown

为了按时完成任务，我们 争分夺秒 地工作。

To complete the task on time, we work racing against the clock.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 争分夺秒

• 分 分 fēn: to divide; to separate
• 分 分 fèn: part
• 夺 夺 duó: to seize
• 争 争 zhēng: to strive for
• 秒 秒 miǎo: second (unit of time)