Definition

1. 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.)