攻 meaning and stroke order
To attack; to accuse; to study
How to write 攻, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 攻
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to attack
- to accuse
- to study
- (LGBT) top
How 攻 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Rap.
攵 gives the meaning and 工 hints at the sound.
Radical: 攵 (to rap), shared by 36 characters on this site.
How to remember 攻
攻 (gōng) joins 工 (gōng), which gives the sound, with 攵, a hand holding a stick that hints at rapping or striking. Picture a worker 工 swinging a stick 攵 to strike, and you have "to attack."
攻 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It appears in compounds about attacking, like 攻击 (gōngjī) and 进攻 (jìngōng), and also about studying hard, like 攻读 (gōngdú). Example: 他在北京攻读博士学位。 (Tā zài Běijīng gōngdú bóshì xuéwèi.) He is studying for a PhD in Beijing.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 攻 (gōng) with 功 (gōng, merit), which has the same sound and also contains 工 but uses 力 (strength) on the right. Remember that 攻 has the striking 攵 because it means to attack, while 功 has 力 because it means achievement.
Common words with 攻
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 攻击 | gōngjī | to attack; to accuse | HSK 6 |
| 进攻 | jìngōng | to attack; to assault | HSK 6 |
| 攻读 | gōngdú | to major (in a field); to study a specialty to obtain a higher degree | HSK 7-9 |
| 攻关 | gōngguān | to storm a strategic pass; fig. to tackle a key problem | HSK 7-9 |
| 攻打 | gōngdǎ | to attack (the enemy) | |
| 攻势 | gōngshì | (military) offensive | |
| 攻破 | gōngpò | to make a breakthrough; to break through | |
| 攻占 | gōngzhàn | to seize control of (an enemy position); (fig.) to take by storm | |
| 反攻 | fǎngōng | to counterattack; a counteroffensive | |
| 围攻 | wéigōng | to besiege; to beleaguer | |
| 攻陷 | gōngxiàn | to capture (a fortress, city etc); to take by force | |
| 人身攻击 | rénshēngōngjī | personal attack | |
| 攻略 | gōnglüè | (literary) to storm and capture; strategy; directions; guide; how-to | |
| 专攻 | zhuāngōng | to specialize in; to major in |
攻 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 攻
How many strokes are in 攻?
攻 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 攻 mean?
攻 (gōng) means to attack; to accuse; to study. A common word with it is 攻击 (gōngjī), meaning "to attack; to accuse".
How do you pronounce 攻?
攻 is pronounced gōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 攻?
The radical of 攻 is 攵, which carries the idea of "to rap". Dictionaries list 攻 under this radical.
Is 攻 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 攻 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 攻击 and 进攻?
进攻 (jìngōng) mainly means a military or sports offensive, moving forward against an opponent. 攻击 (gōngjī) can also mean a physical attack, but it is often used for verbal attacks or criticism, and for cyberattacks, as in 网络攻击 (wǎngluò gōngjī).
Why does 攻 mean to study?
The idea is attacking a hard subject with full effort. In words like 攻读 (gōngdú, to study for a degree) and 攻关 (gōngguān, to tackle a key problem), study is treated like taking a difficult position.