攻

Primarily means to attack or assault, both in physical and strategic senses. It also carries secondary meanings of to strive toward a goal, to challenge difficulty, or to study intensively — attacking a problem with effort and persistence.

Phono-semantic compound composed of:

攴 (칠 복) — semantic component, meaning “to strike” or “to hit,” indicating an action of attack or application of force.

工 (장인 공) — phonetic component, giving the sound gong (공) and suggesting craftsmanship, skill, or calculated effort.

Together, they convey the idea of “applying force with skill and precision”, not blind violence but a directed, deliberate attack or effort.

攻擊 (공격) — attack; assault

進攻 (진공) — to advance in attack; offensive move

反攻 (반공) — counterattack

攻城 (공성) — to besiege or assault a city

攻守 (공수) — offense and defense

攻陷 (공함) — to capture or fall (of a fortress)

攻讀 (공독) — to study diligently (literally, “to attack reading”)

攻克 (공극) — to overcome; to conquer

攻關 (공관) — to tackle a key challenge

攻破 (공파) — to break through; to destroy

In ancient Chinese military vocabulary, 攻 described offensive operations, particularly the assault or siege of fortifications.

It implies initiative and movement, in contrast to 守 (defense), which emphasizes stability.

「攻者，動也；守者，靜也。」

“Attack is movement; defense is stillness” — Sunzi, The Art of War (孫子兵法).

In The Art of War, 攻 is central to strategy — the art of applying calculated force at the right moment:

「上兵伐謀，其次伐交，其次伐兵，其下攻城。」

“The highest form of warfare is to attack the enemy’s strategy, next to attack alliances, next to attack armies, and the lowest is to attack walled cities.”

Hence, 攻 is not merely physical aggression but tactical intelligence, initiative, and skillful execution — striking not with brute strength but with foresight and precision.

Extended meanings:

Because of its connotation of focused effort, 攻 also came to describe academic or intellectual pursuit — “to attack with study” (공부하다, 攻讀).

「學而不攻，無所得也。」

“To learn without attacking it (with effort) yields no gain.”

Thus, whether on the battlefield or in study, 攻 expresses directed energy toward mastery.

攻 symbolizes initiative, energy, and active pursuit.

It stands for the assertive force of movement and progress, the act of confronting rather than retreating.

Yet classical philosophy balances 攻 with 守 (defense), teaching that wisdom lies in knowing when to advance and when to hold.

「善攻者無怒，善守者無懼。」

“He who attacks well is not driven by anger; he who defends well is not ruled by fear.”

攻 reveals that true strength is measured not by destruction, but by precision and purpose.

It is the art of directed will — to engage, to challenge, to advance — always tempered by understanding.

「以智攻難，以毅攻成。」

“Use wisdom to attack difficulty; use perseverance to achieve success.”

Thus, 攻 stands as a symbol of skillful effort and courageous initiative, the active power that transforms challenge into mastery.