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争分夺秒

zhēng fēn duó miǎo

HSK 7–9

Meaning

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

Definition

形容时间抓得非常紧，一分一秒都不浪费。

To race against time; to seize every minute and second.

Usage

常用于形容工作、学习等场合中非常紧张、高效率地利用时间。

Often used in contexts of work or study to describe making efficient use of time under pressure.

Examples

  • 1 为了按时完成项目，大家争分夺秒地工作。 (In order to finish the project on time, everyone worked against the clock.)
  • 2 高考前夕，学生们争分夺秒地复习功课。 (On the eve of the college entrance exam, students were studying feverishly.)
  • 3 消防员争分夺秒地抢救被困人员。 (Firefighters raced against time to rescue the trapped people.)
  • 4 比赛进入最后阶段，运动员们争分夺秒，全力冲刺。 (As the competition entered its final stage, the athletes sprinted with all their might.)
  • 5 他争分夺秒地学习外语，希望能尽快出国。 (He studied foreign languages against the clock, hoping to go abroad as soon as possible.)

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