夺冠

• Pinyin: duó guàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 夺 = 大 (great) + 隹 (bird) + 寸 (hand) — to take by force of hand; 冠 = 冖 (cover) + 元 (first) + 寸 (hand) — placing the crown on the head of the first-place finisher

Meaning

To win the championship; to claim the title; to take first place in a competition.

夺冠 is used in sports and competitive contexts. It emphasises the act of seizing or claiming the top position. Often used with 成功夺冠 (successfully win the championship) or 顺利夺冠 (smoothly claim the title). More colloquial than 问鼎冠军.

Examples

1. 中国女排在决赛中以三比零的悬殊比分夺冠，展示了强大的团队实力。 The Chinese women’s volleyball team won the championship in the final with a decisive 3–0 victory, showcasing powerful teamwork.
2. 他苦训三年，终于在世界锦标赛上夺冠，实现了多年来的心愿。 After three years of intense training, he finally won the world championship, fulfilling a dream he’d had for many years.
3. 这支年轻的球队首次参加全国联赛便成功夺冠，令所有人大感意外。 This young team entered the national league for the first time and still won the championship, surprising everyone.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, competition, achievement

Tone: triumphant

Do Say

• 代表团在本届亚运会上共夺冠十二次，创下了参赛以来的历史最佳成绩。(The delegation won the championship twelve times at this Asian Games, setting the best performance record in their participation history.)
• 他凭借最后一跳完美的技术动作成功夺冠，全场观众起立鼓掌，欢呼声经久不息。(He successfully claimed the title with a perfect final jump, and the entire audience rose to applaud, the cheers ringing on for a long time.)

Don't Say

• 他夺冠了考试 — 夺冠 is specifically for competitions with a 冠军 title; for exams use 考了第一名 or 拔得头筹; 夺冠 does not apply to academic assessments

Origin & History

夺 (to seize/take) + 冠 (crown/championship) — seizing the crown

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal