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助攻 (zhù gōng) — (sports) assist; (military) supporting attack, secondary attack

Definition

In sports (basketball, football, esports) 助攻 is the ‘assist’ — a pass that directly sets up a score. In military usage it means a supporting attack that backs up the 主攻 (main assault).

noun
(sports) assist(military) supporting attacksecondary attack
Measure word · 次

Examples

  • 助攻。
    Tā zài bǐ sài zhōng sòng chū le yí gè piào liang de zhù gōng.
    He gave a beautiful assist in the game.
  • 助攻。
    Zhè cì xíng dòng yǐ zhǔ gōng hé zhù gōng pèi hé jìn xíng.
    This operation was carried out with a main attack and a supporting attack.
  • 助攻。
    Tā běn sài jì de zhù gōng cì shù pái míng dì yī.
    He ranks first in assists this season.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

助zhùsupport
攻gōngattack

「助」 means support and 「攻」 means attack, giving the sense of a supporting attack.

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
力力lìstrong arm
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě助zhù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

助 pairs 力, a strong arm, with 且, which gives the sound; the meaning is help with strength.

Open 助 →

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 →
Appears in
Military & DefenseSports & Athletics

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