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攻破 (gōng pò) — to breach, to make a breakthrough (in a battle, problem, etc.)

Definition

攻破 (gōngpò) is a formal, military-flavored verb meaning to 'break through' an obstacle — an enemy line, a technical problem, a system. It implies a hard-fought breakthrough, stronger than simply 解决 ('solve').

verb
to breachto make a breakthrough (in a battle, problem, etc.)

Examples

  • 攻破。
    Jūn duì yòng le sān tiān shí jiān gōng pò le dí rén de fáng xiàn.
    The army took three days to breach the enemy's defense line.
  • 攻破。
    Zhè ge jì shù nán tí zhōng yú bèi gōng pò le.
    This technical problem was finally solved.
  • 攻破。
    Tā men dǎ suàn cóng nèi bù gōng pò zhè ge xì tǒng.
    They plan to break into this system from within.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

攻gōngattack
破pòbroken

The action of 攻 leads to the result 破, giving 'breach'.

Characters in this word

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 →

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
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí破pò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

破 has 石 (stone) as its meaning part and 皮 as its sound part.

Open 破 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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