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力争上游

力爭上游
lìzhēngshàngyóu
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to strive to excel
  2. 2 to push for the top
  3. 3 to aim high and work hard

Examples

同学们都在力争上游，谁也不想落后。
Tóngxuémen dōu zài lìzhēngshàngyóu, shéi yě bùxiǎng luòhòu.
The students are all striving for the top — no one wants to fall behind.
这家公司一直力争上游，创新不断。
Zhè jiā gōngsī yīzhí lìzhēngshàngyóu, chuàngxīn bùduàn.
The company has always pushed to excel, innovating constantly.

Tips

culture
上游 literally means 'upper reaches of a river' — the image is of a boat fighting against the current to reach the headwaters.
history
From 清·赵翼《瓯北诗话》: 力欲争上游，性灵乃其要 — on poets striving for excellence.

Stroke Order

力 lì
争 zhēng
上 shàng
游 yóu