HanziGuru.攻 · gōng
攻
gōng[gong1]Tone 1

to attack

HSK 6
Guru Deep Dive

English · to attack

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:7
Writing Balance Rule: The left component (工) and right component (攴/攵) must be well-balanced in width. The left vertical line of 工 should be straight, while the right radical 攴 must not crowd the left side.
1. Meaning

to attack, assault, or launch an offensive

to accuse or criticize stronglyto study, specialize in, or work hard at a disciplinetop position in a same-sex relationship context
VerbNeutral#military#debate#academia#slang
Sample Usage
  • 我们要集中力量攻克这个难关。
    Wǒ men yào jí zhōng lì liàng gōng kè zhè gè nán guān.
    We must concentrate our strength to overcome this difficult pass.
  • 他大学时主攻计算机专业。
    Tā dà xué shí zhǔ gōng jì suàn jī zhuān yè.
    During college, he majored in computer science.
2. Sound
/[kʊŋ⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
攻
gōnggong1
++
¯(55)
=gōng
Initial Consonant
g
Type: Unaspirated Velar
Sounds like: g sound as in English 'go'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air (sounds like 'c' in Vietnamese 'cá' or 'k' in English 'skate').
Tongue & Mouth Position: Back of tongue raised against soft palate
Final Rhyme
ong
Vowel Group: -o vowel group
Sounds like: -ong rhymes with rung
Mouth Shape Guide: Combine initial 'h-' (h) with final '-ong' (oong).
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is a high, steady flat note, matching the pitch of a sustained musical note or a flat electronic tone.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the unvoiced unaspirated initial 'g' with the aspirated 'k' (kōng). Remember that 'g' is soft like in 'go', not explosive like in 'kite'.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Hold your hand flat and steady at eye level, moving in a straight, high horizontal line to represent the level pitch of Tone 1.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 7 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (工) and right component (攴/攵) must be well-balanced in width. The left vertical line of 工 should be straight, while the right radical 攴 must not crowd the left side.

4. Components

Radical 攴 · rap radical (to tap, rap, or strike)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 攴 (indicates an action involving striking or hitting)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 工 (original sound: gong)

A craftsman's tool or work (工) combined with a hand holding a stick or striking instrument (攴) creates the idea of applying force, working hard at, or launching an attack.

  • 工 phonetic clue and meaning element representing labor or construction
  • 攴 radical indicating striking or beating
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally a phono-semantic compound where 工 (gong) provides the pronunciation and 攴 (pu, hitting) provides the core meaning of striking or attacking.

Semantic Evolution: From physical striking or attacking in warfare, it extended to attacking an academic problem (studying hard), criticizing in debate, and modern slang usages.

  • In ancient military strategy, 攻 referred specifically to offensive siege warfare, contrasted with 守 (defending).
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
công
High level tone in Mandarin matches the ngang tone in Vietnamese.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: コウ / Kun: せ.める
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
공
Sound Shift Bridge: The historical consonant ending in -ng is preserved across Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Korean readings.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

A master craftsman (工) picks up a striking tool (攴) to fiercely attack a difficult wooden block, carving it down while studying every detail.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
功
gōngachievement, meritReplaces the strike radical 攴 with the silk/thread or earth radical? Wait, 工 + 力 = achievement (merit through labor).
红
hóngredUses thread radical (纟) instead of strike radical.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
功(gōng)
攻 has the striking radical 攴 on the right (attacking); 功 has the strength radical 力 on the right (achievement).
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
我们要努力[___]这个技术难题。
Clue: gōng
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the right side radical 攴 (攵) with similar right-side radicals like 文 or 夂, leading to incorrect stroke order and proportions.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does 攻 mean when paired with 克 in the word 攻克?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to attack' (gōng) using the worker and strike components?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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