Chinese Character: 攻
1. Character Basics
Radical: 攵 (pū, hand, indicates related to action, hitting, or striking)
Stroke Count: 7
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: Gōng (First tone)
3. Meaning
Core meaning: To attack; assault; storm; charge; study; master; specialize in
This character primarily means "to attack" in military or competitive contexts. It can also mean "to study or master" a subject or skill through focused effort.
4. Common Words
- 攻击 (gōng jī) - To attack; assault
Example: 敌人发动了猛烈的攻击。(The enemy launched a fierce attack.)
- 进攻 (jìn gōng) - To advance; to go on the offensive
Example: 军队开始进攻敌人的阵地。(The army began to attack the enemy's position.)
- 攻克 (gōng kè) - To capture; to overcome
Example: 我们终于攻克了这个技术难题。(We finally overcame this technical problem.)
- 攻读 (gōng dú) - To study intensively
Example: 他正在攻读博士学位。(He is studying for a doctorate.)
- 攻略 (gōng lüè) - Strategy; guide; walkthrough
Example: 这个游戏攻略很有用。(This game strategy guide is very useful.)
5. Grammar & Usage
Part of speech: Mainly used as a verb, but can also be part of compound nouns.
Usage patterns:
- As a verb: 攻敌 (attack the enemy), 攻难题 (solve difficult problems)
- In compound words: 攻击 (attack), 进攻 (offensive), 攻读 (study intensively)
- In idioms: 攻无不克 (all attacks are successful), 以攻为守 (attack as defense)
Common collocations: 攻克难关 (overcome difficulties), 攻心战术 (psychological tactics), 攻坚战 (tough battle), 攻击力 (attack power)
6. Cultural Background
In Chinese culture, the concept of "攻" (gōng) has both military and scholarly connotations. In military strategy, it represents the offensive aspect of warfare, balanced with "守" (shǒu, defense) to form a complete tactical philosophy.
In academic and personal development contexts, "攻" takes on a positive meaning of dedicated study and mastery of skills. This reflects the Confucian value of self-improvement through diligent effort.
The character is also found in many Chinese idioms and proverbs, often emphasizing the importance of strategy, persistence, and focused effort in overcoming challenges.
7. Example Sentence
Example 1: 他们正在研究如何攻克这个难题。(They are studying how to overcome this difficult problem.)
Example 2: 在战争中，进攻和防守同样重要。(In war, attack and defense are equally important.)
Example 3: 他决定专攻计算机科学。(He decided to specialize in computer science.)
8. Memory Tips
1. Component breakdown: The character "攻" consists of "工" (gōng, work) on the left and "攵" (pū, hand) on the right. Together they can be thought of as "using hands to work on something" with focus and determination.
2. Visual association: Imagine someone using their hands (攵) to work (工) hard at mastering a skill or solving a problem.
3. Mnemonic sentence: "工人用手攻，难题一扫空" (gōng rén yòng shǒu gōng, nán tí yī sǎo kōng) which means "Workers use their hands to attack, and difficult problems are swept away".
4. Stroke order practice: Remember the stroke order: horizontal, vertical, horizontal (for 工), then dot, horizontal,撇,捺 (for 攵).