争分夺秒

• Pinyin: zhēng fēn duó miǎo
• Hanzi breakdown: 争 = contend; 分 = 八 + 刀 (divide — minute); 夺 = 大 + 寸 (seize); 秒 = 禾 + 少 (second)

Meaning

To race against time; to seize every minute and second. Working with extreme urgency to save time.

A four-character idiom expressing maximum urgency. Common in emergency situations, competitive contexts, and descriptions of intense effort. Often paired with rescue operations, exam preparation, or project deadlines.

Examples

1. 医护人员争分夺秒地抢救伤员，每一秒都至关重要。 Medical staff raced against the clock to save the injured—every second was critical.
2. 距离截止日期只剩三天，团队成员争分夺秒地赶工。 With only three days left until the deadline, the team worked around the clock to finish on time.
3. 消防队员争分夺秒冲入火场，成功救出被困人员。 Firefighters raced into the blaze and successfully rescued the people trapped inside.

Usage Guide

Context: emergency, work, competition

Tone: urgent

Do Say

• 地震发生后，救援队争分夺秒搜寻幸存者。(After the earthquake, rescue teams raced against time to search for survivors.)
• 考试前的最后一周，他争分夺秒地复习所有科目。(In the last week before the exam, he raced against time to review all subjects.)

Don't Say

• 我争分夺秒地吃早饭 — sounds hyperbolic for routine activities; reserve for genuinely urgent situations

Origin & History

争 (compete for) + 分 (minutes) + 夺 (seize) + 秒 (seconds) — fighting for every unit of time

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal