daa2 saang1 daa2 sei2打生打死
Jyutpingdaa2 saang1 daa2 sei2
Yaledá sāang dá séi
Definition
To fight or compete fiercely, as if to the death.
- to fight physically with extreme violence, risking death
- figurativeto compete intensely over something
colloquialpeopledaily actions
How it's used
This expression is rarely used for literal physical combat in modern daily life. It is most commonly applied to intense, often petty, competition in workplaces or between friends where the stakes feel disproportionately high to an observer. It carries a strong sense of exasperation or judgment from the speaker regarding the participants' extreme behavior.
Examples
The two of them are fighting tooth and nail for that position, it's really unnecessary.
Are you two going to keep fighting until you drop before you're willing to stop?
Related words
Common phrases
fighting tooth and nail over money
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a serious life or death struggle in a formal or news context, as it sounds overly dramatic and colloquial. It is meant to highlight the absurdity or intensity of a conflict rather than to report on actual violence.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
