攻 (gōng) - to attack & to assault

攻Tone 1

gōng ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 攵

枫惠

攻 · gōng

to attack;

to assault;

to criticize;

to specialize in;

to study

to attackto assaultto criticize

Usage highlights

to attackto assaultoffensiveto besiege a cityto study assiduouslyto specialize in

Synonyms

  • 击— to strike; to hit
  • 打— to hit; to fight
  • 伐— to attack; to campaign against

Antonyms

  • 守— to defend; to guard
  • 防— to prevent; to defend against

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The army attacked the city (攻城).
  • He studies ancient Chinese literature (攻读古文).
  • The team launched an offensive (发起进攻).
  • This material is fire-resistant (防火材料能攻能守).

Collocations

  • to attack(攻击)
  • to assault(攻打)
  • offensive(进攻)
  • to besiege a city(攻城)
  • to study assiduously(攻读)
  • to specialize in(专攻)

Idioms

  • Attack the weak point(攻其不备)
  • Attack by stratagem and defend by strength(以攻为守)
  • Attack the east from the west(声东击西)
  • Know the enemy and know yourself(知己知彼，百战不殆)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In military strategy, 攻 represents the active, offensive aspect of warfare, complementing 守 (defense).
  • In academic contexts, 攻 means to study diligently or specialize in a field, reflecting the concept of 'attacking' knowledge.
  • The character appears in many classical military texts like Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War'.

FAQ