攻
aggression, attack, criticize, polish
Readings
On'yomi
- コウ
Kun'yomi
- せ.める
Nanori
- おさむ
Meaning
攻 centers on forceful action directed at a target: attacking, aggression, or criticizing. The sense of polishing is a natural extension of applying repeated, directed effort to refine something.
Most common words using 攻
20 of 166- 攻撃こうげきN3
attack; assault; raid; onslaught; offensive
- 攻略こうりゃく
capture (of enemy territory); taking (by storm); conquest; attack; assault
- 攻めるせめるN2
to attack; to assault; to assail
- 速攻そっこう
swift attack; quick attack; fast break; breakaway
- 専攻せんこうN3
major subject; special study
- 侵攻しんこう
invasion
- 特攻とっこう
suicide attack; kamikaze attack
- 攻防こうぼう
offense and defense; offence and defence
- 攻勢こうせい
offensive (movement); aggression
- 特攻隊とっこうたい
special attack unit; kamikaze unit; suicide squad
- 攻守こうしゅ
offense and defense; offence and defence; batting and fielding
- 正攻法せいこうほう
frontal attack
- 猛攻もうこう
fierce attack
- 先攻せんこう
batting first
- 攻め込むせめこむ
to invade; to attack; to breach; to penetrate
- 難攻不落なんこうふらく
impregnable
- 進攻しんこう
attack; drive; advance; invasion
- 攻めせめN1
attack; offence; offense; assault
- 攻囲こうい
siege
- 水攻めみずぜめ
inundating a castle; flooding a castle
Study
Etymology
攻 combines 工 (work, craft) with 攵 (a hand holding a stick, suggesting action). Together they express the idea of applying effort or force, which developed into attacking and, by extension, polishing through repeated action.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 工 is a tool or work, and the right side 攵 is a hand holding a stick. Picture a worker using a tool to strike or polish something: that forceful, repeated action is 攻.
Reading mnemonic
For コウ, imagine a kō (こう, like 'co-') worker attacking a stubborn stain with a polishing tool: kō -> コウ, and the worker keeps striking until it shines.