总攻 (zǒng gōng) — general offensive (military) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

general offensive (military)

Measure word · 次

Examples

总攻。
Jūn duì zài lí míng shí fēn fā dòng le zǒng gōng.
The army launched a general offensive at dawn.
总攻，。
zǒng gōng De mìng lìng yǐ jīng xià dá, suǒ yǒu bù duì zhǔn bèi xíng dòng.
The order for a general offensive has been issued; all units are preparing to act.
总攻。
Dí rén wú fǎ dǐ dǎng wǒ men de zǒng gōng.
The enemy cannot withstand our general offensive.

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.

总zǒngoverall

Overall and attack combine to name a general military offensive.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 總; 总 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìrope

Sound part声符shēngfú

悤

悤cōng總zǒng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 總 has 糸, a rope, and 悤 as a sound part; the rope part is for binding together. This account is for 總, not for 总.

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

工攵攻

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.

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