争分夺秒
- Literal
- fight for the minutes, snatch the seconds
- Figurative
- To make every minute and second count, racing against the clock because time is short; urgent in tone and usually admiring.
Where does 争分夺秒 come from?
It does not come from a story, and no classical source is known for it. 分 and 秒, "minute" and "second," are the small units of the clock, and the two verbs, 争 "to contend for" and 夺 "to snatch," present time as something to be won from a rival. The parallel structure, verb and object twice over, gives the four characters their rhythm. It is normally used with a sense of urgency and effort: rescues, medical emergencies, projects on a deadline, exams. It usually comes before the verb with 地 (争分夺秒地工作).
How is 争分夺秒 used? Two examples
- 离高考只剩一个月，她每天都在争分夺秒地复习。
With just a month to go before the college entrance exam, she's studying against the clock every day.
- 救护车一到，医生们就争分夺秒地抢救伤员。
The moment the ambulance arrived, the doctors raced against the clock to save the injured.
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