tranh ăn
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To scramble for food; to fight over food: To compete aggressively or struggle with others to obtain food, often implying a scarcity or a lack of manners.
- To jostle for an advantage; to vie for a windfall: Figuratively, to contend eagerly or unseemly for an unexpected gain, benefit, or opportunity.
Usage Examples
Literal meaning:
- Lũ trẻ tranh ăn miếng bánh cuối cùng. (The children scrambled for the last piece of cake.)
- Đàn gà tranh ăn hạt thóc. (The flock of chickens fought over the grains of rice.)
Figurative meaning:
- Các công ty đang tranh ăn hợp đồng lớn đó. (The companies are jostling for that large contract.)
- Họ sẵn sàng tranh ăn bất cứ cơ hội nào. (They are ready to vie for any windfall opportunity.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often carries a negative connotation, criticizing greedy, selfish, or undignified behavior in a competitive situation.
Variants and Related Words
- Tranh giành (verb): to struggle for, to compete for (a more general term for contention).
- Hai anh em tranh giành đồ chơi. (The two brothers fought over the toy.)
Synonyms
- Scramble for: to struggle or compete with others for something in a hurried, disorderly way.
- Fight over: to contend for possession of something.
- Vie for: to compete eagerly with others to achieve or obtain something.
Related Idioms
- While "tranh ăn" itself is a set phrase, it relates conceptually to idioms about greed and competition, such as "giành giật" (to snatch from one another).
- Thái độ giành giật thể hiện sự ích kỷ. (A snatching attitude shows selfishness.)