Definition

1. Idiom (Verb phrase):
   • To have a contest of endurance or bravery; to dare each other: This idiom describes a situation where two or more parties engage in a stubborn contest to see who can withstand difficulty, danger, or challenge longer. It implies a test of nerve, patience, or resilience.
   • To challenge; to defy; to brave: It can also mean to openly confront or defy a difficult situation or opponent, showing one's courage or stubbornness.

Usage Examples

• Idiom:
  • Hai tay đua xe thi gan trên đường đông. (The two racers dared each other on the crowded road.)
  • Công ty nhỏ đó đang thi gan với các tập đoàn lớn. (That small company is defying the large corporations.)
  • Nó thi gan ngồi im không nói gì cả. (He stubbornly sat in silence, saying nothing.)

Advanced Usage

• The idiom often carries a connotation of recklessness or foolish bravery in addition to mere endurance. It is frequently used in contexts of conflict, competition, or facing danger.

Variants and Related Words

• Gan lì (adj): stubbornly brave, having grit.
  • Kẻ tội phạm tỏ ra rất gan lì. (The criminal showed himself to be very stubbornly brave.)

Synonyms

• To outlast: to endure longer than someone else.
• To brave: to endure or face courageously.
• To defy: to resist or challenge openly.

Related Idioms

• Thử thách lòng gan dạ: to test one's courage.

  • Chuyến phiêu lưu là để thử thách lòng gan dạ. (The adventure is to test one's courage.)

• Được voi đòi tiên: to be greedy (literally: given an elephant, to demand a fairy). This is sometimes used in similar contexts of pushing limits or making unreasonable demands in a challenge.

  • Đừng có được voi đòi tiên, thi gan với số phận. (Don't be greedy, challenging fate like that.)