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一二を争う (いちにをあらそう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, godan verb (-u)
compete for first place ; be one of the two best
Used when two entities are clearly the top contenders, vying for the number one spot. Often implies that the competition is between two outstanding rivals.
一いち
二に
を
争あらそ
う
成せい
績せき
だ
。
He and she have the two best grades in the class.
Kanji 二 two, two radical (no. 7) Similar words 首しゅ 位い を 争あらそ う More general 'compete for first place', not limited to two contenders.
トップを 争あらそ う Similar meaning but more casual and often used in sports or business contexts.
Etymology The phrase literally means 'to fight over one and two', i.e., to compete for the first and second positions. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a natural extension of the numbers 一 (one) and 二 (two) used to denote the top two ranks.
