tranh giành
Definition
- Verb:
- To compete for / to contend for: To strive against others to gain possession or control of something desired by multiple parties.
- To squabble over / to bicker over: To argue, often in a petty or childish manner, over the possession of something.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Hai anh em tranh giành một món đồ chơi. (The two brothers are squabbling over a toy.)
- Các công ty lớn tranh giành thị phần. (Large companies compete for market share.)
- Họ tranh giành quyền kiểm soát công ty. (They are contending for control of the company.)
Advanced Usage
- The verb often implies a sense of conflict, rivalry, or struggle where the desired object, position, or advantage is limited and cannot be easily shared.
- It can be used in contexts ranging from minor personal disputes to major geopolitical or economic conflicts.
Variants and Related Words
Tranh giành ảnh hưởng: to vie for influence.
- Các cường quốc tranh giành ảnh hưởng trong khu vực. (The superpowers vie for influence in the region.)
Tranh chấp (v): to dispute, to be in conflict over (often used in legal or formal contexts).
- Hai nước tranh chấp chủ quyền lãnh thổ. (The two countries dispute territorial sovereignty.)
Synonyms
- Contend for: to struggle in opposition or rivalry.
- Vie for: to compete eagerly with someone for something.
- Scramble for: to compete with others in a hurried, undignified way.
- Squabble over: to quarrel noisily over a trivial matter.
Related Idioms
Tranh giành như mổ bò: To fight fiercely over something (literally: to fight over something like butchering a cow).
- Họ tranh giành tài sản như mổ bò. (They fought over the estate fiercely.)
Tranh giành miếng ăn: To struggle for a living/to fight for scraps (often implying a harsh struggle for basic necessities).
- Cuộc sống khó khăn khiến người ta phải tranh giành miếng ăn. (A difficult life forces people to fight for scraps.)