Chinese phrase
和〜较劲 hé 〜 jiào jìn
Meaning
try to outdo ___
When to use it
It describes trying to outdo someone. It often suggests a strong wish not to lose, sometimes with a stubborn or strained tone.
Example dialogue
最近我总觉得自己做得不够好，心里压力很大。 zuì jìn wǒ zǒng jué de zì jǐ zuò de bú gòu hǎo xīn lǐ yā lì hěn dà
I feel inadequate and stressed.
我明白，你不是故意和同事较劲，只是想把工作做好。 wǒ míng bái nǐ bú shì gù yì hé tóng shì jiào jìn zhǐ shì xiǎng bǎ gōng zuò zuò hǎo
I know. You want to do well, not compete.