争先恐后 (zhēng xiān kǒng hòu)

Character breakdown

• 争 (zhēng) · 6 strokes

  Simplified form of 爭. Depicts two hands (爫 又) grabbing the same plow.

• 先 (xiān) · 6 strokes

  Depicts a person (人) stepping forward (止) leading the way.

• 恐 (kǒng) · 10 strokes

  Phonosemantic compound. 心 represents the meaning and 巩 represents the sound.

• 后 (Hòu) · 6 strokes

  Depicts a queen mother (母) giving birth to her heir (𠫓). Based on the original meaning "heir to the throne". The meaning later expanded to "ruler", "successor", and "after".

Usage

同学们争先恐后地回答老师的问题。

striving to be first and fearing to be last (idiom); outdoing one another

tóng xué men zhēng xiān kǒng hòu dì huí dá lǎo shī de wèn tí 。