只争朝夕

只爭朝夕
zhǐzhēng-zhāoxī
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to seize every minute
  2. 2 to make the most of every moment
  3. 3 to race against time

Examples

Shíjiān jǐnpò, wǒmen bìxū zhǐzhēngzhāoxī.
Time is tight — we must seize every minute.
Wèile mèngxiǎng, tā zhǐzhēngzhāoxī, cóngbù xièdài.
For his dream he races against the clock, never slackening.

Tips

usage
(zhāo) here means 'morning' and (xī) means 'evening' — 'contesting only for mornings and evenings', i.e. fighting for every span of daylight. Register is formal and mildly exhortatory, common in speeches and slogans.

Stroke Order

zhǐ
zhēng
cháo