主攻手 (zhǔ gōng shǒu) — (sports) ace spiker, main attacker (in volleyball); (figurative) vanguard, lead player in an offensive role

Definition

Originally a volleyball term for the team's main spiker/attacker; extended figuratively to any lead player or unit taking the offensive role in a project.

noun
(sports) ace spikermain attacker (in volleyball)(figurative) vanguardlead player in an offensive role
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 主攻手，。
    Tā shì wǒ men duì de zhǔ gōng shǒu, měi chǎng bǐ sài dōu néng dé hěn duō fēn.
    He is our team's ace spiker and scores many points in every match.
  • 主攻手，。
    Zhè cì xiàng mù yóu shì chǎng bù dān rèn zhǔ gōng shǒu, qí tā bù mén pèi hé.
    In this project, the marketing department takes the lead role, with other departments supporting.
  • ，主攻手。
    Zài pái qiú bǐ sài zhōng, zhǔ gōng shǒu de kòu qiú lì liàng fēi cháng guān jiàn.
    In a volleyball match, the spiking power of the main attacker is very crucial.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

主攻main attack
主zhǔmain攻gōngattack
偏正Modifier + head
手shǒuperson

主攻 (main attack) with 手 (person) gives the ace spiker.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

Open 主 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攵Written in full as攴pūhand holding a tool or weapon
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng攻gōng
Same sound today

攻 puts 工, which gives the pronunciation, beside 攵, a hand holding a tool or weapon.

Open 攻 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

手 draws a five-fingered human hand: the top line is a bent middle finger, and the horizontal lines show the other four fingers.

Open 手 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.