📖 Meaning
To seize every moment and strive to achieve a goal in the shortest possible time. The characters 朝 (morning) and 夕 (evening) together denote a brief span of time. It conveys a sense of urgency and determination to make the most of each day.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from Mao Zedong's 1963 poem 'Man Jiang Hong — Reply to Comrade Guo Moruo' (《满江红·和郭沫若同志》). The famous lines read: 'The world turns, time presses. Ten thousand years is too long—seize the day and the night.' The poem was composed in response to a verse by the scholar Guo Moruo and reflects a revolutionary spirit of urgency and resolve. The phrase urges people not to wait idly but to act promptly and purposefully. It has since become widely used to express the importance of making every moment count.
💡 Example Usage
面对激烈的市场竞争，我们必须只争朝夕，加快研发进度。
Facing fierce market competition, we must seize every moment and accelerate our R&D progress.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 只争朝夕
- Pinyin: zhǐ zhēng zhāo xī
- Literal Translation: only, strive, morning, evening
- Category: Determination
- Characters: 4